My Queen
by ARose94
Summary: Heimdall, the gatekeeper of the Bifrost, is asked by Odin to use his gift of all sight in order to predict Thor's and Loki's future queens. Years later, Loki falls from the Rainbow Bridge and ends up meeting the girl Heimdall had predicted, on Midgard. Follow Loki's journey through self doubt and anger as he fights for power, revenge, and the heart of his queen. CHAPTER 14 NOW UP!
1. Prologue: Discovery

**AN- Hey guys, this is my first Thor fiction and I just wanted to note that Thor: The Dark World will not make an appearance in this fiction. Also, I will try to keep true to most aspects of Thor and The Avengers, but the timeline may vary. Some key points will happen sooner/later than normal. I will try my best to make my Loki as close to the movie version that I can. **

**Pay attention to the title and name of each chapter! They give away small hints and important notes of each chapter itself.**

**This is just the prologue, so it will be quite short. **

**Enjoy!**

**"My Queen"**

**Prologue: Discovery**

The rainbow bridge glistened under the bright sunlight—which was at its highest point in Asgard's sky. It was midday and Heimdall lifted his face up to the warm rays, inhaling the air deeply.

"Enjoying this warm weather, are we Heimdall?" a deep voice called out to him. Heimdall opened his eyes and looked down and out across the bridge to the small group walking his way. He knew that they would be arriving at this exact time. He always knew.

Odin Borson, king and just ruler of Asgard, approached with Frigga and their two sons. Thor Odinson and Loki Odinson were but mere children; tiny and bright-eyed.

"Heimdall! Heimdall!" they called out to him, breaking free of their mother's grasp and running forth. Heimdall chuckled as the two youngsters ran circles around him, remaining still at his post.

Always vigilant.

Always watching.

Odin and his queen finally caught up to the three at the gateway of the Bifrost. Frigga sighed and ran her fingers through her children's hair as they returned to her and hugged her skirts. "Hello, Heimdall," she spoke. Her voice was kind and she radiated an aura of peace and love. She glowed just as her golden hair did at that moment in the sunlight.

Heimdall nodded her way and then turned his attention to King Odin. The king smiled and said, "I believe you know why we are here." Heimdall became rather serious and nodded once more.

"You wish to see what future your sons will have," he replied as the sun reflected off of his golden helmet. "But you have previously forbidden me from looking at your sons' futures since Loki's birth. What has changed your mind, my Lord?"

The king was silent. Queen Frigga spoke up, "I wish to know whom my sons will marry. I want to know of their hearts. Their happiness is my desire—Asgard's safety comes second only to that."

So it was the queen that changed Odin's mind. She wished to know about her sons and persuaded her husband otherwise. The guardian of the Bifrost looked down at the two children before him. "Would you like to know who you're going to marry, young princes?"

"Ew!" Thor exclaimed. Loki nodded, agreeing with his brother. "I'll never marry a girl!"

The three adults chuckled softly and then the seriousness of the situation returned. Odin cleared his throat and spoke to his sons. "You two were born to be kings—_to rule_. A king cannot rule without a queen by his side. A king must be strong, cunning, powerful, and his authority is truth…but without a queen, he loses his throne to greed and hatred. His queen keeps him in check. She provides wisdom and control," he looked to Frigga with love and adoration and she smiled in return. "Without a queen, a king will be his own demise. He will destroy himself and all of his people."

The children looked down at their boots, blushing softly at the words of their father. Humbled.

"Now," Odin spoke softly, "who shall go first?"

Thor and Loki looked back up to the elder Asgardians with eager smiled. "Me first! Me! _Me_!" Thor cheered. Loki interjected, "No! _I _want to know. Who shall be my queen?"

"Thor will go first, since he is the oldest," Frigga requested. Loki pouted and crossed his arms over his chest while his brother smiled triumphantly.

"Very well, then. How much would you like to know?" Heimdall inquired.

King Odin spoke, "Do not reveal the girls' identities. Just tell us as much as you can without giving it all away. We would like to be pleasantly surprised when the time comes."

The all-seeing guard nodded and turned his attention to the blond child at his feet. Thor was bright and filled with the same aura of the sun that encompassed his mother. He had her golden hair and skin along with her blue eyes. Yet, he also held the strength and power of his father deep down. Heimdall's gaze left the present moment as it searched the realms into the future. Colors and light exploded across his vision as it landed on the form of a young man with hair like the sun and a red cape that flowed in the wind. The crests of the nine realms were marked upon his armor and he wielded the great hammer, Mjolnir.

This power would often grow to battle his kind heart. Pride would overgrow love. He would be unbalanced until he learned otherwise.

"Thor Odinson," Heimdall started, "you will grow into a strong and powerful man. You will know great victory in war and you will yield a power that you are not yet ready for." At this, the child looked confused and a frown grew on his features. Heimdall pressed onwards. "You will be prideful and young of mind, but you will come to know great love and loyalty through the friendships and bonds you have built. Your pridefulness will take you to Midgard, where you will come to love a mortal."

Loki burst into laughter and Frigga shushed him with a stern look. The youngest son quieted but held an amused look upon his face while Heimdall went on. "She will hold kindness in her eyes and determination in spirit. She will teach you humility…but the love of a close friend will bring your mind and spirit rest. Ultimately, you will marry a _warrior _of Asgardian blood."

Thor smiled and looked to his parents for approval of this unknown queen. Odin nodded, satisfied with this information, while Frigga beamed happily. Heimdall held in his own grin, having seen that his very flesh and blood would be this queen. His youngest sister Sif, just a small babe born four nights ago, would grow into strong maiden, warrior, and queen.

"Now," the tall guard clad in gold and bronze continued. "Young Loki Odinson."

Heimdall's gaze searched and swept through the realms. The mysteriously dark-haired child held no trace from either of his parents. Most Asgardians features were warm and of light coloring. Slightly sun-tanned skin and hair ranging in hues of bronze, copper, and gold. Eyes the color of the ocean and clouds on a stormy day. Young Loki Odinson's skin was as white as snow, his hair blacker than a starless night, and his eyes were green. He looked like neither Odin or Frigga. Still, Heimdall pressed onward.

Loki would find out the identity of his queen sooner than Thor would discover his affections for Sif. However, Loki would not come to actually _love _until after Thor. Heimdall's vision crept past Thor's journey to Midgard and his first love—Jane Foster. Yet, Loki would not be alone. Sigyn would be ever present on Asgard until Loki finds his queen.

"Loki Odinson will grow into an bright young man, being skilled in magic and the art of many languages. While his brother hungers for war, Loki's mind will thirst after knowledge. His mischief and cleverness will be fed by this intelligence and he will often find himself to be lonely. Yet, Loki will not be _alone_. He will have himself an admirer—a close friend of Asgardian bloodline. She will come to love him, but he will not return the favor, for his heart searches for another from a distant realm. She will bring him compassion and ease of mind. Acceptance and understanding. Loki may have an extensive knowledge base, but she will teach him things that a book cannot. Their union will unify three realms."

His parents looked curious, but not fearful. They both knew of Loki's lineage and his marriage to someone from another realm would unify not only Asgard and that world, but Loki's planet of origin as well. But nobody else knew of Loki's line.

Not even Heimdall.

Loki tilted his head to the side. The youngest prince appeared worried. "But from what realm? Wh—where is my queen?" He bit his lip and furrowed his tiny, dark brows.

"Midgard," Heimdall finished.

"HA!" Thor cheered in triumph. "_Midgard? _The world of _mortals?_"

Frigga breathed a sigh of relief, having feared the worst. "Heimdall, you almost had my curiosity changing to worry." Loki turned to her, angry. "Mother! This cannot be true!"

The queen scolded him. "Loki Odinson! Calm yourself. I'm sure that she'll be a lovely girl. Your queen sounds wonderful and I cannot wait to meet her and Thor's. Come along now. We have work to do at home. Thank you, Heimdall"

The guard of the rainbow bridge bowed in return and Frigga took the two young boys, turning away to begin the long walk to the kingdom.

The lord Odin nodded his thanks and was about to turn back towards his queen and young princes when Heimdall stood to catch his arm, grabbing his attention.

"My lord, wait," Heimdall started.

Odin looked hastily from the hand on his forearm, to his queen (who was beginning to gain distance away from the two men as she kept walking with her sons), and then back to the tallest protector in all of Asgard.

"What is it?" he urged.

Heimdall was silent for a lengthy time and then spoke. "I think you know. And I know now why you ordered me to keep your sons' futures from my sight until Frigga begged you to reconsider."

"I know naught what it is that you speak."

"Loki," Heimdall spoke lowly. "He is a Jotun—of frost giant lineage."

The king of the realm fell silent, looking downwards solemnly. The only sound audible was the gentle hum of the rainbow bridge to the Bifrost. "I saved him from certain death on Jotunheim. Do not tell anyone of this discovery. Some may not be as forgiving of the Jotuns since the war. I'd dread the day Loki begins to feel like an outcast on this world—the very world he has been thought to call 'home'." And with those parting words, the king left and strode after his family.

"But he already has," Heimdall whispered into the wind to nobody at all.

**AN-I have the drafts of the next ten chapters already written up and I'm really excited for this fanfic. **

**Please follow for updates when I post new chapter! Review, too, so that I know what you like/hate. **

**Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 1: Patience is a Virtue

**AN-In celebration of Tom Hiddleston's birthday, here is the first official chapter!**

**REMINDER: Pay attention to the title and name of each chapter! They give away small hints and important notes of each chapter itself.**

**Chapter 1: Patience is a Virtue**

I hated him. His pride grew just as fast as his strength—if not swifter. Thor was out of control. He would end up destroying our realm with his stupid, brute strength.

A real king…a _true _king, needs knowledge and wisdom to rule. And I had just that. I, Loki Odinson, had spent my childhood indoors reading the castle's entire library. Decades and decades of scrolls and books were stored into my mind. Exercising the mind was just as important as exercising the body.

While Thor built up his muscles like a poorly constructed kingdom, I build mine like an empire. I was strong, but lithe and swift. My muscles were lean and sinewy. My mind was sharper than a doubled edged sword and this allowed me to practice magic under the apprenticeship of one of the elders. Within years, my power surpassed my trainers—though I kept this a secret. Too much knowledge could strike fear into the eyes of those beneath me.

And while my hatred of my brother and my disdain at the way father favored him grew, so did my plans.

Today, those plans would come to fruition.

Thor was being granted Mjolnir and the throne on this very day. But I had other ideas for his coronation…

"Loki? What are you doing out here all by yourself?" a light, female voice asked from down the hall. I rolled my eyes, recognizing who it was in an instant. I ignored her and continued scanning the view from the balcony I stood upon. My newly developed all sight searched the galaxies and realms to no avail. Sputtering sparks and then blackness. I blinked and stopped trying.

A small hand on my shoulder made me frown. "Loki! Didn't you hear me calling to you?"

I turned around, "Sorry. I didn't. What do you need, Sigyn?"

Lies.

I wasn't sorry. Yes, I had heard her voice and I had chosen to ignore it. I always lie. I was born with a silver tongue that could seduce the minds of others. My words calmed the pathetic quims around me like one would charm a snake. Except that _I _was the snake and my forked tongue hexed those who dare contain me. It seems like that was all I did these days. Lie to Thor. Lie to Father. Lie to Mother.

I was the "God of Lies"

Sigyn continued speaking. "Listen, last night was amazing. I'm glad that we're together, now." I returned her blissful grin with my own tight smile. Inside, I was screaming for release from her grip.

I had met Sigyn as a boy some time after Heimdall's chat about my future and she had followed me through the entire kingdom for years. As children, she wanted to be my best friend…and I suppose in a way that she was. Yet, some days I hated her very presence. Other days I took advantage of her devotion and used her to carry out my plans. She would do anything for me, including lifting some restricted magic books from the library's storage.

But we were definitely _not _together.

We spent some…time…in my bed chambers occasionally late at night—but now Sigyn thought that I was courting her.

I suppose it was rather impolite of me to tease her and give her false hope for so many decades. What has it been now? Almost five centuries? Yes. Over five-hundred years of leading her to believe that I could one day care about her the way she cares for me. Sigyn might be a fool to believe in me, but I didn't hate the girl. I will admit, though, that I enjoyed her company _sometimes. _Sigyn was my only friend.

But I just couldn't reciprocate her feelings of admiration and affection. Not when Heimdall's words had plagued me since childhood.

And this was the reason that I had been attempting to recreate Heimdall's gift of sight. Sigyn's stolen scrolls from the library contained a vast collection of spells and secret texts. After years of searching, I had finally found one that was similar enough. Yet, the task was proving to be rather difficult.

While Heimdall had the gift of foresight and an all encompassing gaze of the realms—present and future, the spell I have been practicing only allows me to see the present tense.

And I couldn't even achieve my desired result yet.

Radiant flashing colors of light were supposed to fill my gaze and then fade away to allow me to view whatever realm I wanted to observe. Instead, what I got was sputtering, pathetic sparks and then black nothingness. I had to keep practicing.

For her.

"Loki Odinson. Why must you always leave me to chase the dreams around the inside of your skull?" Sigyn laughed as I snapped out of my thoughts. Sigyn was shorter than me by quite a few inches and she looked up at me expectantly. Her golden hair and blue eyes were Asgardian trademarks...something I had grown quite bored of as of late. Why I was one of few that appeared different, to that I had no clue. Gold, amber, copper, and bronze hair colors were the normal gradient. Very rarely did one of our kind had cool brown and black tones. Just another category for me to be quite unusual in. I was used to it.

I feigned a smile of apology and then replied, "I'm sorry, Sigyn. I'll meet you in the great hall just before the ceremony. I just have one more thing to attend to."

She nodded and walked away down the corridor from whence she came earlier. Watching her wide hips and ample bosom bob and sway while she walked, I found myself bored. I sighed tiredly and made my way down the steps to the stables, grabbing one of the black mares. I mounted the beasts back and urged it off to the rainbow bridge. My dark green cape billowed behind me as the horse ran swiftly.

As the golden dome of the Bifrost grew in the distance, I saw the small form of Heimdall emerge from the tiny opening in the wall. As I got closer, Heimdall grew larger as the distance between us began to grow smaller. He knew I would be paying him a visit today.

He always knew.

As I dismounted from the horse, Heimdall casually strolled from the gate to the edge of the bridge. He looked down and over the ledge, peering into the great void of the many galaxies.

I dismounted from my horse and marched over to him, impatient and running out of time. Thor's coronation would be starting soon and I had plans for the event that I needed to be present for.

Heimdall paid me no attention as I stopped next to him, looking down at the vast collection of stars and planets. "You've been looking for her," he stated. Of course he would find out. There were many things I had learned to hide from him—including today's plans for the source of all of Jotunheim's power, but my attempts to acquire all-sight did not need to be hidden from Heimdall.

I nodded. "To no avail. You mustn't tell Father. I admit, I may have stolen some restricted texts…but they were for good use." Only part of that was a lie. Some stolen texts were for good, others for bad.

"Why isn't it working? Has she yet to be born?" I inquired, changing the subject.

He grunted. "No, she was born years ago. Perhaps you cannot see her because you are not meant to find her just yet."

My anger boiled within me. I seethed, cursing low under my breath. "Why didn't you tell me?" I hissed. "How old is she—how long have you been keeping this from me?"

"Seventeen years"

I released a breath of relief that I had been holding in. "She is still, but a child. I have time, then."

The guardian's gaze finally lifted from the stars below to meet my eyes. "Do not be so foolish, Loki. You may know more than most Asgardians combined, but you know little about mortals. You run out of time to spend with your queen every second. I have kept her from you because I suspect that you have been keeping many things from me—not an easy task for most. What is it that you are hiding, Prince Loki, God of Lies and Mischief?"

"Nothing!" I shouted, angered. I was always running out of time. I was running out of time to get to Thor's ceremony. Running out of time before the Jotuns arrived in the weapons vault. And now, I was running out of time to attain my queen. My temper had only grown over the years that Thor was favored by Father. Unleashing it all too early could give me away. I had to keep pretending that all was well within me. Pretend that I was happy and not plotting my brother's demise day by day.

"I'm sorry, Heimdall," I whispered.

Heimdall frowned deeply. "Do not be so quick to anger and hate, young prince. I mean no disrespect. I only wish what is best for all of Asgard. If I feel that it is being threatened, I will defend it so. If you have gotten yourself into a trouble too great for you to handle, all you need is to ask for help."

I growled lowly in my chest, unnerved that he still believed Asgard to be at slight risk. Unsettled, I mounted the black horse once more. After adorning my golden helmet, emerald cape whipping behind me in the wind, I asked carefully. Voice level, trying to contain my rage…

"At least tell me her name"

"Laurel"

And with that last exchange between us, I left him in order to witness the perfect ruining of my brother's coronation.

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	3. Chapter 2: Resting On Your Laurel

**AN-***Loki wasn't touched by the frost giant on Jotunheim when he went with Thor and his friends (a scene in the beginning of the first Thor movie). He doesn't know he is adopted, yet.*****

**REMINDER: Pay attention to the title and name of each chapter! They give away small hints and important notes of each chapter itself.**

**Chapter 2: Resting on Your Laurel**

"WAAAKE UP!" My mother called throughout the entire house.

I groaned and stumbled out of bed like a zombie. Four hours of sleep due to twelve hours of studying for finals. I had crammed so much information into my brain, that surely it would explode. But it would be worth it when I got that 'A'.

Finding my way to the kitchen, I sat down at the counter in front of the plate of breakfast my mother had prepared for me moments earlier.

"Are you excited, sweetie?" my mother asked me, placing the fork on my plate and taking the pile of flash cards out of my hand. I nodded sleepily as she flipped through the cards to quiz me.

My mother and I lived together alone. My dad left when I was little and she had raised me all by herself ever since. She stressed the importance of education, wanting me to have a better life for myself than the one she had, but allowed me to choose what goals I wanted. She was everything to me and helped me study through all of my tests—one of which I had today.

Today was my AP college microbiology exam. I was still a senior in high school, but my high grades allowed me to enter college a year earlier and duel enroll in both schools.

"What is the medical term for high blood pressure?" Mom quizzed.

I stabbed a piece of egg with my fork and answered, "Hypertension."

"Correct. Spell the name of the lung infection caused by the inhalation of very fine volcanic ash," she countered.

"P-n-e-u-m-o-n-o-u-l-t-r-a-m-i-c-r-o-s-c-o-p-i-c-s-i-l-i-c-o-v-o-l-c-a-n-o-c-o-n-i-o-s-i-s," I mumbled around a mouthful of pancakes.

My mother scowled and flipped the flashcard over. "Pneumo—what?"

I swallowed my food and smiled at her. "Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis," I replied.

"I'm just gonna go ahead and guess that you're correct, because I have no idea what you just said," she laughed. I giggled and finished scarfing down the rest of my food. I then thanked her and ran down the hall to get ready for school.

After dressing and applying my makeup, I tied my long dark hair up in a ponytail. I checked the mirror once more. Cool, grey eyes looked back at me from the reflective glass. My skin was pale and my lips and cheeks blushed a soft, shell pink. Jet black mascara accentuated my naturally long lashes.

I grabbed my backpack, hugged Mom, and ran out the door as she called out a final, "Good luck!"

We only had one car that Mom used to drive to work at the office. Her work was located on the opposite side of town so she didn't have time to drive me to school in the morning. I didn't mind. The walk to school was only two miles and I liked the trek through the woods to reach my destination. The college was two more blocks westward from there.

I could have walked the sidewalk route, but that was a four mile hike across paved streets and through noisy neighborhoods. The forest surrounded my neighborhood for acres upon acres in all directions and the land belonged to nobody in particular. It wasn't private property, so I used it as my own personal sanctuary. I had tied a red ribbon around a single tree trunk every tenth of a mile to mark the small hike. That took a few tries, but with Mom's handheld GPS device for her car, I had managed to map out the journey last year. Now, I'd never get lost.

"CABG," I tested myself. "Coronary Artery Bypass Graft."

As I strolled through the airy woods, the only sounds for miles were my voice and the distant chirping of bird calls.

XXX

I smiled cheerfully as I made my way home through the woods. I had finished my test and there wasn't a question asked that I didn't know. My high school classes were a breeze and my two extra college classes weren't too much of a challenge today. I celebrated by checking out some books from the library on my way home.

By the time I stepped into my personal forest to hike home, it was already after dark. I had browsed the bookshelves for far too long, but I wasn't worried about it. Southern Indiana was a safe—at least in my area for sure. I'd rarely been out of town, so I wouldn't know. If anything, walking in the woods here was safer than being on the streets at night.

I took out my mini flashlight from my backpack in order to see my ribbon tree markers. More than halfway through my hour long stroll, I was deep into the forest and surrounded on all sides by acres of woodland.

The wind picked up strength and I smiled, inhaling the sweet, earthy air. My smile quickly changed to an irritated frown when the wind changed from a breeze into powerful windstorm. My ponytail fluttered out behind me. Leaves flew all around and whipped against my face. A startled gasp escaped my lips as a twig snapped from a tree nearby and whipped against my cheek, scratching it. I touched it with my hand and pulled away to see a dark liquid on my fingertips.

Blood.

"What on earth," I breathed out. How could the weather change this severely in such a short span of time?

Just then, a bright light burst through the night sky. I held my arm above my face to shield it from more flying debris as I watched. Dark clouds were illuminated by green and gold flashes of lightning. The beam shot down from the clouds and struck the earth. A loud boom shook the area, like lightning. My hair lifted slightly, responding to the static and I heard tiny crackles of energy zing through the air.

A shock wave rippled through the trees and the impact felt like it was just a mile away. Spooked from the loud noise of the event, I fell backwards and dropped my flashlight, hearing it shatter upon a stone. I was immersed in darkness. Screaming out in alarm and fear, I scrambled up onto my hands and knees, and shot up from the forest floor. With nothing but moonlight to guide me, I began to run the rest of the way home in the black night..

I tripped twice and my hair was ripped free from my ponytail, spilling dark tresses in front of my face. Stumbling blindly without my flashlight, it took me twice as long to reach my yard.

Out of breath, I leaned forward to rest my hands on my knees. Mom wouldn't be home until eleven, late. I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed in the woods. How would I explain it to her? I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and looked up to the front porch and gasped.

There was a man laying on my doorstep.

A _naked _man.

The man looked tall, but built of lean muscle. He had his shoulders and the back of his head leaning against the door while his torso and legs were on the welcome mat.

"The hell?" I cursed in alarm, "Who are you? I'll call the police!" I got no response.

I cautiously walked towards him, keeping my eyes away from his exposed nakedness and trying to see if he was armed. Was this stranger dangerous? _Hehe, stranger danger, _I joked to myself.

Brushing aside the humor and my blushing nervousness at seeing my first naked man in front of me, I studied his face. He was pale, and his hair was dark—darker than mine. While my hair was a deep, dark coffee color…his was jet black. His hair was longer than most men's around here, slightly brushing against his shoulders and neck like a shadowy cape. His eyes—well, I couldn't see what color they were. They were closed. Was this dude sleeping on my porch? A drunk and disorderly man that got so intoxicated he stripped off al his clothes and passed out someplace? Seems likely for a college student.

Maybe he was a fraternity boy that was dared to go streaking after a few too many beers?

My gaze wandered, tracing the lines of his body. Past his strong shoulders and toned arms to his lean, built stomach. As I walked closer and studied him, I discovered a large gash on his side. Blood pooled underneath his still form.

He wasn't sleeping. He was unconscious.

_Hurt._

Dying.

I rushed to his side in an instant. "Oh my God!" I yelled, noticing the large puddle under my shoes as I knelt by his side. I looked from the gash to his face, and then back at the wound. I couldn't just let him bleed out on my doorstep! He could have a family. A name. He was somebody!

Pulling him onto my lap, his head lolling to the side, I used my left hand to stem the blood flow and my other hand frantically searched my pocket for my keys.

"Please don't die. Please don't die. _Please _don't die," I whispered worriedly as I unlocked the door, shoving it open.

"I…wont…" came a weak mumble from the man in my grasp.

I gasped, startled, and looked down at his face. Electric green eyes peered up at me, framed my the jet black hair. I let out a shaky breath and spoke for the first time directly to him.

"I need to get you inside the house. I need to help you, but you're too heavy for me. I'll need to drag you over the step into the living room and it'll hurt…but you'll be okay." I smiled in encouragement. He nodded once and I braced myself. Hooking my grip under his underarms, I pulled him towards the house. He groaned, cursing loudly. He kicked at the floor—weather from the pain or because he was trying to help, I don't know. The action resulted in pushing his body back and aiding in getting him over the threshold. But once we were inside, he went slack.

"No no no no no," I mumbled. He can't die. Not under my watch. I had to stop the bleeding just enough to buy time for an ambulance to arrive. Grabbing the roll of paper towels from the kitchen, I wrapped the absorbent paper around his torso until they ran out. Running to the phone, I tried to dial 9-1-1.

"No!" came a loud shout of protest from the other room.

Alarmed, I dropped the phone on the kitchen counter with a thud. I had only pushed the '9' before the strange man interrupted. "What? What's wrong?" I called back to him, picking up the phone and rushing to his side. His eyes were narrowed in pain and slight annoyance.

"I'm just trying to call for help. You need to get to a hospital. I'm not gonna call the cops or anything—I swear! I was just kidding before," I explained. "Just let me call for help."

He shook his head, determined.

"Then I'll just call them once you pass out from blood loss!" I shouted angrily.

'Surprised' doesn't begin to cover how I felt when he snatched the phone out of my hand and crushed it in his grasp.

"Why did you do that!?" I cried out. Never mind the question of 'how' he managed to smash a phone to pieces with one hand.

He gasped in pain, breathing shallowly. "Don't…call. Just…h—help." The remains of the phone fell from his grip as he faded into unconsciousness once more.

I huffed out an exasperated breath and tossed the broken phone back on the counter. I needed a new plan. I grabbed his upper arms again and decided to move him to my room. Dragging him through the house resulted in leaving a blood trail on the hardwood floors. The trail led through the living room, hall, and ultimately into my bedroom.

I ran back down the hall and grabbed some towels. Laying them all across my bed, I managed to get him on the mattress with a great deal of effort. My bed was a queen size mattress and his feet hung off the ledge still. God, this dude was tall.

Lifting the paper towels to inspect the wound, I frowned. I needed our first aid kit from the hall closet. Running out of the room once more, I returned with supplies. I might not be a medical professional yet, but this was my first chance to actually help someone and I was going to do my damned best. I'd patch up this stranger first and ask questions later.

Laying out the supplies next to him, I suddenly thought of covering him up. I grabbed a blanket and tossed it over his crotch and legs. Blushing at the short glimpse of his well endowed body, I brushed that aside and focused on his injury.

Removing the now red paper towels, I prodded gently at the wound to inspect it further. I heard a stifled groan come from his mouth and I looked up at him. "You have a five inch long laceration on your abdomen. It isn't deep, but you've lost a lot of blood. You'll need sutures to stitch it closed. I can do that…but it'll hurt like hell."

He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing heavily, and then reopened them before answering. "O…kay."

I poured an antiseptic on the wound, making him curse loudly at the burning sensation, and threaded the needle from the first aid kit. The first suture through his skin was pretty bad. He kicked and screamed loudly.

"Please pass out, please pass out, _please!_" I murmured, trying to continue on with the sutures as his thrashing increased the flow of blood from the wound. I hoped he would lose consciousness soon, for his sake and mine. After the fifth tiny loop of thread, I finally got my wish.

Either from the blood loss or pain, I don't know, but he was out of it quickly.

I finished stitching a row of twenty-one sutures and taped gauze over the wound. I knew how to hand sew pillows from my sewing class in sophomore year a while back and now it had come in handy to save a life—hopefully.

After spending two hours cleaning up the mess and bleaching the floors until there was not trace of blood, I checked in on the sleeping stranger. He was exactly the same as I left him earlier. I risked taking a quick shower in order to wash the blood and dirt away. Changing into pajamas, I tossed my old clothes in the wash and turned on the cycle.

Now my house no longer appeared to have had a murder occur in it. The mess was gone.

Exhaustion swept over me. The adrenaline and shock of the situation had worn off and now I felt like an empty battery. Popping back into my room, I looked down at the sleeping man.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

Poor guy.

I sat down next to him on the queen size bed, kicked off my shoes, and checked my watch. Mom wouldn't be home for a few more hours. What was I going to tell her?

I never got the chance to think up an excuse because I fell asleep, exhausted, just a foot away from the injured stranger.

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	4. Chapter 3: Who Are You, Really?

**AN- I'm on a roll with editing my drafts. Enjoy!**

**REMINDER: Pay attention to the title and name of each chapter! They give away small hints and important notes of each chapter itself.**

**Chapter 3: Who are you, Really?**

I woke up, disoriented and confused.

What happened? What time was it?

I looked at my window. Sunlight filtered through my curtains, indicating that it was early morning. When did I fall asleep last night? Memories came flooding back to me all at ounce and I almost panicked for a second, looking quickly to my right for the mysterious man I had saved and simply finding empty space.

I sighed, relieved. It had all been a dream. It was now Thursday morning and I needed to get ready for school. I threw back the covers, not remembering ever climbing underneath them to go to sleep last night but brushing that aside, and shuffled to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Good morning," Mom greeted me as I sat down at the counter. "How did that test go yesterday? I wanted to ask you last night when I came home from work, but your bedroom door was closed. Did you go to bed early?" my mom asked as she dropped some pancakes on a plate for me.

"Um…the test went well. I think." I mumbled. "I must have been so tired from all that studying. I can't even remember falling asleep, but I do remember my dreams. I had the strangest one last night. I have to tell you all about it! I was on my way home from school, and this crazy lightning storm struck the earth—"

Mom interrupted me. "Oh! That reminds me! Apparently the town had a lightning storm yesterday evening. Tons of thunder and everything! I heard it from Misty in the office and she had heard it from Ted…"

"Yeah, but it was so real and—"

"Sorry, sweetie. You're gonna have to tell me the rest later. I need to get to work early. Have a great day at school!" she said cheerfully, kissing my forehead and rushing to grab her purse. As she turned to shut the front door behind me, she stopped and asked, "Laurel?"

"Yeah, Mom?"

"What happened to your cheek?"

I brought my hand up to touch my face, feeling the scratch from the event in the woods. But I thought it was all a dream? "I…don't know," I answered softly. It _wasn't _all a dream. My confusion vanished and now I was alarmed.

"Mom?" I looked back up to the door, but she had already left after hearing my vague answer. I heard her car start up in the driveway and the sound of the engine fading as she drove away.

I instantly shot up out of my chair, quickly running to my room for some clue as to where the strange man could have gone. There was no trace of him. The towels I had laid down to prevent blood soaking into my sheets had mysteriously vanished. The rest of the mess—bandages, first aid kit, and spilled blood…I had cleaned up right before accidentally falling asleep.

But how did I end up under the covers?

Turning around quickly to leave my room in order to continue my search, I ran face first into what felt like a brick wall.

"Oww…" I mumbled, taking a step back to rub my crushed nose and swaying slightly on my feet. Arms came forward to grip mine firmly in their grasp, steadying me.

The stranger.

He _was _the wall that I ran into. His arms had been the ones to steady me.

And they also appeared to be previously holding up a towel around his waist. Now, since they were gripping onto my shoulders, the towel fell to pool upon the ground around his ankles.

I looked down briefly out of sudden reaction, my eyes widened, then shot back up to meet his piercing green gaze. I tried to turn around to give him privacy, but his arms held me stationary.

"Thank you, mortal, for saving my life last night" he stated. His voice was cool and velvety. The longer he led me there, gazing down at me, the more my blush deepened. I was only seventeen and a veryattractive and very _naked_ man was holding me in his arms—literally. How old was this guy anyways? I bit my lip, trying to compose myself while his cool breath encompassed me. Finally, he gently released his grip on my shoulders and I quickly turned around to face my bedroom once more.

"You need clothes. _Why _are you naked in the first place?" I managed to speak.

I heard a low, rumbling chuckle behind my ear and finally a response, "Because I had to grab you before you fell just moments ago. It was either the cloth rag or you to hit the ground. I chose accordingly."

"No. I mean when I found you on my front porch. I found you without any clothes on. Why? Were you drunk? If you're one of the fraternity boys from campus, hazing is grounds for suspension. If you were told to get drunk and streak all over town, then—"

He stepped around me, strolling into my bedroom and turning to look at me. The towel now held back in place, thankfully. "I know not of fraternities around here and I was certainly _not _intoxicated. I fell."

"Fell?"

"Yes. From the rainbow bridge of my realm. The Bifrost had collapsed and I went with it. I fell through a tear in the stars and sky. My clothing and armor were ripped away from the velocity of this portal," he stated simply like it was common knowledge.

"Uh…are you toying with me or something? 'A tear in the stars. Rainbow bridge. Bifrost.' Earlier you called me 'mortal'. Who on Earth are you?" I asked incredulously.

He smiled, "Not 'on Earth' as you say, but on Asgard. I am Loki Odinson, Prince and rightful ruler of my realm. Now who…are you?"

Not believing his crazy answer, I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. "I am Laurel Wilson."

"Laurel?" his eyes shone with humor and another emotion I couldn't quite place. Could it be joy? Disbelief? Whatever it was, it was odd. I nodded my response and he smiled again. I noticed how perfect his teeth were. Pearly white and straighter than mine. He must have had braces as a kid. Lucky.

"Then it worked…I wasn't sure where I would end up." He spoke lowly, as if to himself. "But what a peculiar surname. 'Wilson' should be used for the sons of your father. Traditionally, your name should be 'Laurel Wilsdottir' instead. You are the daughter of Will, correct?"

"Actually, I think my dad's name was Steve."

He laughed, "You mortals have the oddest traditions."

I sighed, sitting down on my bed and putting my head in my hands. "Ugh!" I groaned, overwhelmed. I was done with his antics. "You seem fine since I saved you last night—miraculously, I might add. Now you need to go. I have school to get to. Why don't you go back home or to whatever mental hospital you escaped from, okay?"

I looked to him expectantly, waiting for him to turn around and leave, but was shocked when he jumped at me.

He swiftly moved from his spot by the door in the blink of an eye and used his left hand to grab my throat. That move allowed him to push me onto my back, evidently pinning my neck down to the mattress. His eyes flashed full of anger and he growled lowly in my ear, "Do not test me, little mortal girl. I have strength and power beyond your people's understanding and I can crush you like a tiny flower in the palm of my hand."

My eyes widened. _Way to go, Laurel. Now that you nursed a psycho back to health, he's gonna kill you, _I thought to myself. My heartbeat was going crazy. My pulse raced like a frightened rabbit, desperately running from a predator.

"I could," he whispered. His other hand came up to brush against the scratch on my cheek from my trip in the woods last night. His fingertips were cold as they softly traced the line of my wound. "But I wont…"

In another instant, he lifted himself from my bed, releasing me. I sat up, moving away from him and clutching my throat. I glared daggers at him. "What do you want?" I asked.

He smiled, obviously bipolar _and _a psycho, and stated his response. "Right now, I would like some trousers and a shirt."

"I don't have any for you. I live with my mother only. You'd need to stop by the store or something…"

He stared past me and out my bedroom window. "What of your neighbors? Are any of them of the male gender?"

"Yeah…but—hey!"

The stranger, Loki, began to march down the hall and was soon enough out the front door. I stared at his form as he walked down the sidewalk and approached my neighbor's house. Oh well. Not my problem anymore.

This was my chance to get away.

I hastily shut the door and locked it. Packing actual clothes into my backpack for school, I figured I could run away to school and change out of my pajamas in the forest. As I was slipping on my shoes, I heard the neighbor's wife screaming shrilly, "Stop! Come back with the laundry!"

Huh. The psycho must have stolen from their clothesline hanging outside. I had to hurry.

I grabbed my things and ran out the back door, hearing loud thuds coming from the front of the house. Just as I hopped the tall, wooden fence of my backyard, I heard the front door break in.

My knees hit the earth and I rolled, quickly springing up into a run. I hoped he wouldn't come after me. The guy was violent _and _a thief. Who knew what else he was capable of! He had his wound all patched up and now he had clothes. The guy should just leave me alone and go home to his evil liar.

Worry struck me. What if he robbed the house?

I should stop by a pay phone as soon as I cleared the woods and call the cops. I didn't want to get in trouble with Mom if she found out that I let a naked stranger into the house last night. At least if I used the payphone, I could leave an anonymous tip, saying that I saw a strange man break into a house on my street. That would have to do.

I was almost in the center of the woods, following my ribbon markers, when I heard it:

"Laurel!" came his voice from a distance behind me.

Mentally cursing the universe, I looked over my shoulder to try and figure out how far away he was.

He was fifty feet away, glaring angrily in my direction as he sprinted through the trees. At least now he was wearing pants and a shirt. But, hell, he could run a whole lot faster than I could. I tried pushing myself to run quicker, to no avail.

"Laurel…" he growled, thirty feet away. His voice was pointed and full of anger.

I'm gonna die! He's gonna kill me in the middle of the woods and bury me where no one can find my body. He got mad earlier in my bedroom just because I told him to leave. He said he could hurt me but wouldn't if I didn't test his anger. Now he was _really _mad! I was going to die!

The sound of his strides got louder and louder as he gained on me.

Then suddenly, he was right in front of me. I shouted in alarm and dashed off to the right soon after. He appeared out of thin air again, directly in front of me once more. Shocked and confused, I spun around only to find myself surrounded by a group of men…all completely identical. They all looked like _him. _The stranger. I was losing my mind.

I abruptly went crashing to the ground, tackled by what felt like a train slamming into my body.

My back hit the forest floor with a thud_. _The air left my lungs with an audible _whoosh_. My diaphragm refused to move and allow my lungs to function. Huh, so this was what getting the wind knocked out actually felt like. It was damn painful.

While I struggled to breath, I looked around desperately, trying to grasp the situation. Loki was holding me down on the ground. Behind him stood the group of psycho look-alikes. Loki lifted his left hand out behind his back towards them, all the while keeping his eyes locked on me. The copies glowed golden and then abruptly vanished.

"_Stupid girl! _How dare you flee from me!" he snarled in my face. His fist struck the earth by my head, as if to emphasize his anger.

Just then, the air returned to my lungs and I gasped, turning my face to the side to cough violently.

Loki's grip on me loosened enough so that I could roll over completely on my side to catch my breath. "What?! What happened? What did I do?" he asked quickly. "Surely you are not choking."

I coughed, uttering out a shaky response, "No…not choking. You knocked the air out of my lungs!"

He continued to look down at me like he didn't comprehend, so I elaborated. "When I fell—when you _pushed _me," I corrected, "the force of impact on my back stunned my solar plexus. It sends the diaphragm into spasms, rendering it unable to contract and relax properly, and thus, my lungs cannot inhale any air temporarily. It is a painful experience, but thankfully leaves no lasting damage."

He just continued to stare at me.

"What?" I demanded. My fear was pushed aside for the moment.

"You aren't as stupid as I stated earlier," he replied. "But you are still just as foolish. You shouldn't run from me, mortal. You stand no chance against my superior strength. I tried to warn you once before. How long until you grasp that concept?"

Eyes wide, shock and fear returning to the forefront of my mind, I had no response for him. He basically just threatened me. Again.

"Answer me!" he yelled, grasping my arms once more.

I flinched, "I—I don't know! Now, I guess? Yeah, you're stronger than me. I get that, okay? Now what? Are you going to kill me, Loki of Asgard? Obviously with your crazy cloning powers you aren't human! Did you chase me through the woods simply to tie up loose ends and kill the witness?"

His green eyes softened slightly and he paused to study my face for a moment. Was that remorse? Surely not…

He sighed and rolled away from me.

I blinked, surprised but relieved that he wasn't going to kill me. He released me from his grasp, but now what? "So…what happens now? If you're not going to kill me, why did you track me down and tackle me?" I asked.

"I came back to find the door locked."

"Then why didn't you just go home? Back to wherever you came from?" I inquired.

His mouth drew into a tight line. "I can't go back. Not yet."

"Why not?" I responded, sitting up and pulling my knees to my chest. I studied him carefully as he thought of his answer. If he wasn't so crazy, I'd say he was a very attractive man. He had a nice, pale, and even complexion. His eyes were an intense shade of green. Tilting his head slightly to the side, pushing his black hair backwards, and sighing, he spoke lowly.

"It is a long story."

I shrugged. "I have time. I'm already late to school, so I might as well skip it now anyways. It's not like we were supposed to learn anything important today…" I wanted answers. Why was this 'Loki' here in the first place? Why did he have to show up at my house, bleeding and needing medical care? Where did he really come from? Was Asgard real?

Loki smiled, sitting down cross legged and placing his elbows on his knees. He rested his chin in the palm of his hand.

"Okay, then. I will tell you everything."

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	5. Chapter 4: Answers

**AN-Thanks for all the follows, faves, and reviews! I just finished the draft for Chapter 17 of this story and I LOVE the way it's going. I cant wait for you guys to get to read all that I have in store for you! Eeeek! Here is the next chapter, guys!**

**REMINDER:Pay attention to the title and name of each chapter! They give away small hints and important notes of each chapter itself.**

**Chapter 4: Answers**

"I told you the truth earlier. I am Loki Odinson of Asgard, prince and rightful king to the throne. My father is King Odin Borson, the Allfather."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Impressive…" Scratching my chin, I asked, "What exactly does that mean? What is Asgard?"

He smiled, "It is my realm. The world I come from. This world—this planet, it is called Midgard to us. I believe you call it 'Earth'. I am many centuries old. I am also immortal, as is all of my kind—"

"Wait…what? You are _centuries _old? You look like you're in your late twenties!" I exclaimed.

He laughed and I liked the sound of it. He seemed much more at ease. Less homicidal. "Yes. I suppose to you that I would."

"So you can live forever and make identical copies of yourself, right? Anything else? Does everyone on your planet have powers like yours?" I asked. I have heard of the famous Captain America from World War II and Tony Stark...also known as Iron Man, but who knew that people like Loki existed on another world!

"Both yes and no. Everyone has their own skills to master. Some are far better at mastering certain tasks than others. We all posses strength and healing capabilities far superior to your people. I am more skilled in the art of magic than most. I can do many tricks and I have a variety of powers unknown to the rest of my kind. Intelligence is also something I pride myself in, especially since my brother seems to be lacking _severely _in that department."

My eyebrows drew together, "You have a brother? What is he like?"

Loki scoffed, "We are both princes, born to rule one day, but we couldn't be more different than each other. He fights using purely physical strength and completely ignores all reason. He is daft and simple minded—always rushing into things without thinking anything through. While he may wield Mjolnir in battle, he forgets to wield his mind."

I laughed lightly, "He doesn't sound very nice to me." Loki smiled at this comment and I asked another question. "What is Mjolnir?"

"It is Thor's hammer and his greatest weapon. It was gifted to him by the Allfather—our father. It allows him to use the power of lightning and thunder."

I nodded in understanding. So Loki had magical skills while his brother Thor had strength and lightning? What have I gotten myself into? All of this sounded completely crazy. I wouldn't have believed any of it if it hadn't been for Loki's cloning trick earlier. "So this Asgard, what is it like?" I inquired. I was intrigued and still in a state of disbelief. What an odd combination.

"It is grand and beautiful. Buildings are made from precious metals. Gold adorns our halls and armor. Our oceans are clear and bluer that all others. It is my home—_was _my home."

I frowned and he saw my reaction. He elaborated for me, "I was cast out of my realm by my brother. The Bifrost—our method of traveling to and from other realms, had collapsed. Thor smashed the rainbow bride that held it together with Mjolnir and the result was a tear into the realm. It created a portal and I fell through it."

"And why would he break the bridge? How did the portal lead you to my house? Is Thor the one that gave you that cut on your side? How could you survive plummeting down to earth and yet you were bleeding out on my front porch from a laceration?" I urged.

Loki chuckled, "That is quite the list of questions. I will answer the last two out of the four. Yes, Thor did maim me. Asgardians have great endurance and strength, but blades are our weakness. The rest is another story for another time."

I nodded, not wanting to pry, but I wouldn't forget the other two questions that plagued my mind. I would hang on to them and ask him another time. But the answers I did have, I thought them through.

So Loki comes from another planet and he fell through a portal—at the fault of his own brother in a mysterious way that he wont explain. His clothes are ripped off of his body from falling through said portal because of how fast he is traveling through space, yet he manages to survive all this. And a five inch cut from a blade could have been his undoing. How odd.

"So what now? What's next? And why did you have to chase me through the woods, anyway?" I frowned.

Loki took a deep breath and exhaled it in a despondent sigh. "Well, I suppose now I have to think of my next plan of action. I have goals to meet and I just have to figure out how to accomplish them. I pursued you because I might still need your help, being that you _are _an inhabitant of this planet. You're experienced."

"But you won't kill me when you're done finding the answers you desire? You aren't dangerous?" I asked cautiously. I really hoped that he wasn't going to kill me once he got what he wanted. The guy had quite the temper.

He smiled darkly, "Oh I'm plenty dangerous." I laughed nervously, unsure if he was joking or not, and he continued. "But not to you. I give you my word that I will not bring you harm. Although…if you continue to fight me, you will soon see my dark side. I have warned you many times now. It is best you not try for another."

I swallowed thickly, clearing my throat to speak. "Okay, then. Sounds fair enough to me. What shall I help you with first?"

"Some sustenance would do. I have not eaten since early yesterday."

Nodding, I sat up off of the grassy earth. My pajamas were covered in dirt from being tackled earlier. I dusted off my shins to no avail and then looked around for my backpack. It must have fallen off of my shoulders when Loki had grabbed me.

"I believe this is yours," Loki said. He held it out to me with one hand, despite the fact that it had two heavy textbooks inside—part of the reason I ran so slowly trying to get away. His strength wasn't a lie.

I thanked him and took the bag, looping my arms through the straps. I began to walk towards the nearest tree with a red ribbon around its trunk, when Loki stopped me. "Wait…I have something that I want to show you. Follow me," he ordered.

Confusion swept through me, but I followed after him anyways. Why was I following him when he wasn't even familiar with this planet? It made little sense to me, but I walked after him in silence.

He wore Mr. Johnsons' black pants, white t-shirt, and tennis shoes. I'd have to buy some clothes for him later so that he could return the ones he stole from the Johnson family next door.

After walking for some time, the trees in the area began to appear to slant one direction. They didn't grow that way, I was sure. The farther we walked the more the trees leaned towards us—or away from wherever we were walking to. I looked up ahead and gasped, stunned. They trees twenty yards away had all fallen down. Loki and I walked forward some more and I found us to be in the middle of a large clearing. All around us, the trees had tumbled to the ground. The forest certainly wasn't like this before. What happened?

"Look down," Loki commanded.

I did what he said and looked at the ground, discovering a very large imprint in the earth. It wasn't a clearing in the woods in which we currently stood. It was a huge circular marking. A pattern. I must have missed it because I was too busy studying the trees.

"It is now the last mark of Bifrost. As it—and I plummeted through space, it was activated. I fell through its path and it transported me to Midgard. When the Bifrost opens upon a planet, it marks the ground. This," he pointed at the earth, "is how I arrived."

I nodded absently, looking at the intricate pattern of runes and designs. If I had any doubts about Loki's story before, they immediately vanished. You can't fake this kind of thing.

"Now, since you have more proof of my tales…how about some food?"

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	6. Chapter 5: Meet and Greet

******REMINDER: Pay attention to the title and name of each chapter! They give away small hints and important notes of each chapter itself.**

**Chapter 5: Meet and Greet**

Laurel Wilson.

My queen.

Heimdall had told me her name on the day of Thor's catastrophic coronation. Before that, when I was a child, he promised me that I'd find her after Thor's trip to Earth. Little did I know that when I coerced Thor into attacking Jotunheim (by urging him _not _to go face the Jotuns—since he always did the opposite of my requests), Father would banish him to Midgard. When Thor found Jane Foster, I knew that Heimdall's word would come true soon after.

Then Thor just _had _to come back to Asgard and challenge me. I was a king! I ruled while father was unable to and I almost had the throne permanently. I had killed Laufey in Father's name. I was within reach of my goal. Ideally, Father would have awoken from the Odinsleep and he'd see how I triumphed after destroying all of Jotunheim while Thor remained cast out upon Midgard. I would have been the next king and not Thor.

So while Thor fought me on the bridge to the Bifrost, inadvertently piercing my armor with Heimdall's sword, Laurel was on her way home from wherever it was before she found me.

` Then the rainbow bridge was shattered and Thor and I fell. Father had come to save us, but when I told him of my actions…he looked down at me with disappointment. So I let go.

After witnessing more pity and shame in my father's eyes, I let myself fall into the depths of the Bifrost. As I plummeted into the abyss, I thought of my queen. What would she want me to do? She was supposed to balance me and keep me anchored one day—according to Father's words. What of my future with her?

And thus, by thinking about Laurel and not even knowing her face yet, the Bifrost sent me to her.

Crashing to Midgard's surface just a small distance from her place of dwelling, unaware of this fact, I stumbled through the forest. Weak, hurt, and naked. I walked until my legs gave out and then I crawled like some pitiful creature slinking through the scum and mud. I was a god! And yet I was brought to my knees by the wound on my side. Oh how I wished I could use my skill of magic to heal! My immortal life would be much simpler that way.

Stumbling and shuffling through the dry leaves and dirt, I saw a light in dark—a home. I didn't know who lived there or if they were even present. My strength vanished the moment I reached the stoop of the building. Darkness found me and I welcomed it.

Then I heard her voice.

It wasn't kind and bearing light to it. The maidens of Valhalla did not sing in my ears the instant I saw her. _No! _Her voice was angry, confused, fearful.

It was music enough to my ears.

"Please don't die," she was muttering.

Then I opened my eyes and saw her. Her face was red, blushing at my cloth less state, but also worried. Could this be her? Laurel?

"I…wont…"

I wouldn't die. I _had _to know.

And I would.

The night was a blur. I found myself inside her home. I crushed her technological device in order to keep her from contacting anyone. Then I was in her bedchamber. She tended to me, doting carefully at my side, and sewed my wound closed.

I woke up the next morning.

There was someone else in the house. I had heard them in the kitchen and smelled food. I rolled over to inspect my side. Last night I had lost too much blood volume far too rapidly for my body to heal itself. Now that the wound had been sewn shut, my body had the chance to replenish its health.

Finding my wound to be healing on time, I discovered the girl asleep on top of the blankets. I scoffed. Mortals were so simple and weak. My gaze swept the room. A 'Happy Seventeenth Birthday" card was on her bedside table. Heimdall told me that Laurel was the same age. All of my attempts to see her with my powers had failed, so I didn't know what she was supposed to look like. Yet, something had told me that this girl was her.

She had looked cold. Frowning, I picked her up in my arms and placed her under the sheets. This act was out of character for me and it worried my mind. Why should I, Loki Odinson, the rightful king of Asgard care if a puny human female was a bit cold? I shouldn't.

Then she woke up and found me moments later after the other being in the home, revealed to be her mother, had left. There was a slight issue about my lack of clothing. I could have conjured up a vision of clothing to adorn me, but that would only hide my exposure without actually being real. I can only muster up visions, not the real thing. Underneath the holographic image of the clothing, I would still be naked. Besides that fact, perhaps I actually liked the way I made this weak girl blush at the sight of me. It felt pleasing to me—like I had some small power over her simple biological instincts.

But…she was still in the clutches of girlhood. I was a man. Though she was pretty, her flushed cheeks held only amusement to me and nothing more.

We talked briefly before I told her who I was. Then when I had asked her for her name, she responded. Laurel Wilson. My queen.

Humor and disbelief filled me. The Bifrost had practically transported me right onto her doorstep! I grinned triumphantly. My smile vanished when she groaned, became frustrated, and told me to leave her home. She was having trouble believing my brief introduction.

Laurel needed to know of my raw power.

I then grabbed her delicate, pale neck in my hand and pinned her to the bed. "Do not test me, little mortal girl. I have strength and power beyond your people's understanding and I can crush you like a tiny flower in the palm of my hand," I growled in her ear. My grip oh her throat wasn't strong, but I felt her pulse quicken under my hand. Her eyes widened and locked onto mine.

"I could," I warned. Her grey eyes had held fear and I drank it in, reveling in the way I had her. She had a tiny scratch on her cheek and I traced it with my other hand as I murmured, "But I wont."

She was calmer afterwards. More subdued.

Soon after that incident, I left to steal clothing from her pathetic neighbors. Proud of this act, I had strolled back to Laurel's. I was stronger and smarter than the mortal men on this planet. She would come to feel for me soon. She may still be quite young, but given some time to grow up I believed she would become a woman worthy of my rule.

I grasped the knob of the front door but it wouldn't turn. How odd. "Laurel?" I asked. Stupid Midgardian doors and their insufferable handles.

No answer.

I listened carefully and heard her shuffling quickly around the house. The back door opened and her footsteps faded.

_No! _

I had just found her after waiting for centuries. She was supposed to help me rule Asgard! Thor and his silly play toy—Jane, wouldn't get the throne if I had my queen to make my rule stronger. I needed her. I broke through the feeble door just in time to witness her jumping over the wooden enclosure of her property. She was running away.

So I pursued her.

"Laurel!" anger boiled through me. Humans were infuriating and foolish. This girl was no exception.

I reached her in moments, grabbed her, and held her down. I was a god and a rightful king! How _dare _she try to flee from me? What a stupid girl she was! I yelled at her and my rage poured through me like a river. It felt amazingly pleasurable to be able to shout all of my anger out in the middle of these woods. I wanted to smile down at her, gloating and reveling in my small victory of her capture, but then I had noticed that she was coughing weakly underneath me.

That had broken through to me. My rage faded, bottled away temporarily as I focused on her. She rolled to the side, clutching her chest, and then suddenly gasped loudly. Was she choking? Surely she couldn't be dying from injury? Laurel couldn't die on me now, for I had just found her! My worry grew each time she failed to sufficiently fill her lungs with air. Moments later, relief came to me as she recovered and her coughing ceased. After catching her breath and calming herself, Laurel explained to me what had overcome her. Her coughing spell was due to diaphragm spasms. I had 'knocked the air' from her lungs.

Perhaps she was more intelligent that I first thought. My future queen held some degree of intelligence.

And so we had talked.

I told her about my realm and briefly spoke about Father and Thor. I didn't dwell on my family for long, carefully leaving out my dreadful childhood. I also didn't explain to her how Father always favored my brother or how he made sure that Thor was well equipped with the tools necessary to rule—giving him Mjolnir and leaving me nothing. I had to take the leftover scraps of his attention. However, Mother was always kindest to me. She would always have my mercy when I finally got the revenge I craved.

Laurel would help me achieve that.

I would gain new wisdom, power, and respect by the people of Asgard with her on my arm. Thor only had Jane Foster so far, but she would not be wed to him. Heimdall had predicted that Thor would marry an Asgardian. Once Laurel was older, I would be first to marry and then I would capture the throne.

Then I would make everyone pay.

I took Laurel to the site of my arrival—where I had crashed to Midgard's surface. She believed me now—that was certain.

And now, she was preparing a meal for me.

"What are these cakes made in a pan? Are they any good?" I asked, looking at the plate before me.

"Pancakes," she corrected. "And yes, they're very good. You need to pour syrup onto them. They have chocolate chips in them already, but you can't go wrong with more sugar."

We had returned to her small, basic abode just minutes ago. The door handle was broken and the lock was useless, now. She had frowned distastefully at it and I promised to have somebody fix it. What I really meant was that I would order and threaten someone to fix it.

The meal that Laurel's mother had prepared for her was still on the counter, forgotten during the event earlier. It was cold and unappealing, having sat out for over an hour, so Laurel had disposed of it and began to make 'pancakes' for the both of us.

"Go ahead. Try them," she spoke as she placed a fork in my hand. Her fingers lightly brushed against mine in the action. Her skin was just as pale as mine but softer to the touch. I caught a glimpse of her blush as she turned around to get a plate of her own. I smiled, pleased with the reaction I caused and took a bite of food.

"This is very good," I commended. The complement felt weird coming from my mouth. I was a prince of Asgard. The only times I ever complemented another being was to bring about my superficial charm. I could be polite when needed to keep up my guise and raise no suspicions. But now, I think I almost meant what I said and I promised myself that I wouldn't slip up again.

Laurel leaned against the counter in front of me and picked at the food on her own plate. "So…they don't have pancakes on Asgard?" she asked with a chuckle.

"We do not. Asgard has similar dishes of breakfast cakes, but none quite like these," I replied.

She nodded and cleared her throat. "If you don't mind all the questions, can I ask just how different our two worlds are? I mean…do you guys have electricity? Running water? Do we have the same animals and foliage living on our planets' surfaces?"

I swallowed a mouthful of food and thought about her questions. "I don't mind at all. Our worlds are vastly different, but we have adopted certain customs from each other. Asgardians have visited Midgard in the past—your Vikings from quite some time ago thought of us as their gods and we took the term for ourselves. Being immortals, we frequently call ourselves 'gods' and Midgardians are 'mortals'. On the occasions when my people have traveled here, we leave behind some influence and take some with us as well. In a way, our two worlds educate each other…

As for electricity, no, we do not need it. Asgard's skies are clear and our galaxy has many more stars and moons to light up the night. When needed, we simply use flame and fire to light up the dim night. We do have running water—our own invention passed onto your realm, and a system of pipes. Asgardian technology may not run on electricity, but it is far more advanced than yours. Our ecosystems are a bit different, but we have similar species of animals. Our plant life varies vastly, though."

Laurel contemplated my response, thinking it through, and asked another set of questions. "What about education? Do your people know math and science like we do? Not that I'm interested in the math portion at all…but science," she paused with a smile on her face, "if there's more to know out there in the universe, then I'd love to find out. I wonder if you guys use the same medical terminology. Are our anatomy and physiology even the same? Mortals and gods?"

A dark smile threatened to creep across my face. She had seen me unclothed just hours ago and had proof that my anatomy was like that of other mortal men. Although, a low growl crept through my chest at the thought of her seeing another man naked. Despite the fact that I was no stranger to sex, I didn't want Laurel to lay with any other man besides me. She would be mine to wed.

Her eyebrows rose in alarm, having heard my growl. I brushed it aside and answered her questions. "Asgard is more advanced in education. Math and language skills, by far, are the most superior to Midgard's system. We speak a variety of languages and your English language was actually taken from our common speech. Science varies. We know more about physics and astronomy. Your planet knows more about the biological aspect. Our anatomical systems are identical between our worlds and we have been learning from your planet in that way. Just a decade ago, I was reading from a book that one of our scholars wrote on a trip to Midgard. He stayed in your realm for several years and gathered a multitude of new information. He wrote many great volumes filled with terminology and sketches of the body. I memorized the entire thing. It was quite the good read and one of my favorites."

Laurel's smile grew wide and bright. "Really?" she asked. I nodded and she went onwards, "May I talk with you about it sometime? I don't have anybody in my life to talk to about medical science to."

"But of course," I replied. It seemed that Laurel was more advanced than her peers. At her young age, she already had a thirst for knowledge much like mine. This pleased me greatly.

"Wow…um," she paused, shaking her head. "I really can't believe someone from another planet—another _galaxy_ is sitting here eating pancakes with me. Our scientists don't even know about other intelligent life on other planets, though they try to find proof to no avail. And here you are."

I scoffed, "There are seven other realms besides our two. Just be glad that a Jotun hasn't decided to crash down to Midgard and eat pancakes with you. _They _make melook just as nice as Thor in comparison."

"What is a Jotun? And Jotunheim?" she frowned.

"They're Frost Giants. Tall, blue, and angry with red eyes and the power to create weapons of ice. I killed their leader, Laufey, as he tried to murder my father in his sleep. Our realms don't get along. Their entire planet is a desolate ice sphere that floats around in the universe. Pathetic and cold creatures really. You wouldn't want to meet one."

She nodded, and spoke, "Well I am glad that you managed to save your father in time. That makes you quite the hero."

This was quite an ironic situation. Laurel only knew the basics of my story and so far it worked in my favor. She didn't know that I was The God of Lies and Mischief. She didn't know that I tried to kill Thor by sending The Destroyer to Midgard. She didn't know that I was the one to stir up the Frost Giants and lead them into Asgard in the first place. Laurel hadn't even heard of the event in New Mexico because S.H.I.E.L.D. had spent a lot of money to cover it all up.

She only knew what I wanted her to know.

I would woo her and take her back home with me. But before that could occur, I needed an army. I had to come up with a new plan to capture the throne of Asgard.

But first, I wanted to get to know my future queen.

**AN-Thanks for all the alerts, everyone! PLEASE review so that I get some feedback. let me know what you like/hate/would like to see about my fanfic. Any comments are welcome! **

**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 6: Your Turn

******REMINDER: Pay attention to the title and name of each chapter! They give away small hints and important notes of each chapter itself.**

**Chapter 6: Your Turn**

Loki was the most interesting person I had ever met.

He may be some strange, foreign man from another planet that also had anger issues…but I couldn't help feeling excited. I wanted to know everything. My mind was a sponge that thirsted after new knowledge and I couldn't stop asking him questions even as we ate breakfast.

And he liked science.

I _loved _science. No one in my life understood how my mind craved the knowledge found in medical journals and my worn copy of Gray's Anatomy. He had said that the medical book one of his people wrote while on Earth was a good read for him. Inquiring further, Loki revealed that he knew medical terminology quite well. Not holding back, I felt free to speak my mind. I had feared that all of my questioning would only irritate him—I still had no idea what set him off. Yet, he seemed eager and willing enough to answer them for me.

And _he _was the one asking all the questions now.

"What do you do, Laurel? You mentioned schooling beforehand, but what more?" his cool, soft voice purred. Since I was now skipping school and Loki was new to the area, we were currently walking around town. I was showing him where everything was, not knowing his long term plans for his stay here on Earth—er, Midgard. I didn't even know if he _had _any long term plans.

I tilted my head to the side as I answered. "I'm still in my last year of high school, but I'm allowed to start college early. I'm taking some training classes for the profession I want—basics, really, but I'm excited. I want to work in a hospital lab—to draw blood and run tests, help the doctors out, and wear a lab coat all day. I don't know why…but I'd rather work behind the scenes in the hospital than actually be a doctor. So lab work sounds perfect for me."

Loki nodded, seemingly pleased with that answer. "You sound quite intelligent compared to others your age."

I shrugged, "I suppose so. But I'm nothing extraordinary. I don't have any special talents.. I can't sing, dance, paint, or play any sports. I'm not even that well rounded in academics, really. It's just science that I like. Well, that and reading. I love to read."

"As do I," he agreed with a curt nod. Then smiling as if he already knew the answer, he asked, "How old are you, Laurel?"

"Seventeen. I'm a minor here, so we have rules. I can't drink alcohol under the age of twenty-one. I just got my license to drive a car—you have to be a certain age for that, too. I can't vote for the President until I am eighteen. It's crazy, really. I can't wait until I get older. Sometimes I actually feel like an adult trapped in a teenager's body," I laughed.

Loki looked at me inquisitively, asking, "What do you mean?"

I looked away from his prying, emerald eyes, and around at the coffee shop to my right. I easily spotted Loki's tall reflection towering over mine in the glass window pane. "I have this feeling that my life is supposed to be better than it currently is. I have all these goals pictured in my mind and they're just within reach…but I'm a few years too young for them to actually come true just yet. I still need to graduate high school and then college. It's difficult because I'm stuck in the stage between a teenager and a young adult. I can't quite do anything on my own, right now. But I'm so _close _to them." I sighed, "It's frustrating!"

"It _does _sound utterly exasperating," he agreed. I had a strong feeling that he was in the same boat as me. "And what are those goals? What is it that you so desperately crave, Laurel?" Loki asked, slowing down his pace. Our walk halted in front of a bookstore.

Biting my bottom lip, I murmured, "I don't want to be average. My friends are already getting pregnant—having kids and marrying their boyfriends. We're still teenagers for crying out loud! It's like they're in a rush to grow up, just like I am. But my friends and I have different mindsets of what being an adult actually _is_. I don't want to have any children. Ever. And marrying someone will come along if I'm meant to do that. But what I really want is to get straight onto working on my career. I want to buy my own house…even if I'll be living by myself. I want a big greenhouse full of plants—and a fireplace to read by in the winter. Just all these crazy, simplistic goals that everyone around me seems to brush off. Nobody seems to understand that I don't want to be a _mother _or the perfect housewife, like they do. I don't want to feel…"

"Trapped," Loki finished.

I tore my eyes away from the store window to stare back at him with a look of surprise. His features held understanding and sadness. His dark hair fell in front of his face, casting it into shadow, and I could have sworn that his eyes turned much darker.

"Yes," I nodded quietly.

Looking up at the sky, I couldn't help but wonder if Loki was just like me in a way. Perhaps he too had some goals that were just within his reach, but they weren't close enough to grasp right now. Sometimes that's one of the most difficult aspects of life—seeing what you want and not being able to actually achieve it due to current circumstances.

"Do you want to browse the books?" I suddenly asked him, wanting to change the subject. He nodded, eyes returning to their normal appearance, and we headed inside the bookstore together.

** XXX**

Laurel surprised me more as the day went by.

She had a mind like no other maiden of Asgard. She wasn't a sniveling, nagging woman like the ones I took into my bedchamber. She peaked my interest more and more.

And she was the opposite of Sigyn.

Sigyn didn't care for an occupation or work of any kind. She only wanted large banquets and lavish parties, then a boorish life as a housewife to follow. Sigyn was also very interested in having a household _full _of children. She didn't want an education and she definitely didn't care much for literature and novels, either. All of these things she made sure to tell me as we lay in bed together after coupling.

As if I cared what Sigyn wanted. Sure, she was a companion to me. But I had no interest on her life once she left my presence. She could do whatever she pleased as long as she didn't drag me into her sub par lifestyle with her. _I, _on the other hand, was destined for greatness.

I was burdened with glorious purpose.

But Laurel, she wanted a quiet life outside of her social normalcy. She wanted to focus on a professional job working in the medical field. A house to herself—one with a greenhouse and a fireplace. I could give her all of those things. She would work with our best healers and have access to my private library, a grand fireplace that touched the vast ceiling of our home, and a garden to shame all others. When I took her to Asgard, I would make sure to it.

She very much so, picked at the corners of my mind.

I wondered just how great of a king I could be with her at my side. Laurel was smart. She could give me advice and wisdom with my rulings. She would be in charge of certain tasks in the castle that I couldn't entrust to anyone else. I could already picture how powerful we could be joined together.

Father would see that I was fit for the throne this way, surely. All of Asgard would kneel before me.

Laurel suggested we enter the bookstore and I agreed. Perhaps these pathetic Midgardians had some quality literature hidden in here somewhere.

Together we browsed the shelves while idly chatting. We talked about Laurel's school and my magic lessons as an adolescent, whispering lowly so no one else could hear. Laurel did surprisingly well, taking in all the information I bestowed upon her. Just hours ago she refused to believe me. I could still sense her hesitation every so often. Like a whiff of a gentle perfume, I would catch her slight feelings of apprehension. Rightfully so, that she should not trust me wholly. I was The God of—

"—Lies and Mischief?" Laurel slowly spoke, reading a page out of a book. I snapped my head around to see that she held a book of Norse mythology in her pale, tiny hands. I strode closer, peering over her shoulder to see the pages she currently studied.

'Loki Odinson: The God of Lies and Mischief' was the current chapter name. The first page had a drawing of my signature helmet at the top next to the chapter's title. Laurel laughed gently and smiled, reading paragraph after paragraph.

"Is this true? Are you the most troublesome between you and your brother? There's a section on him, too. And your father! It says here that you use spells and charms to wreak havoc in your household," she teased. I frowned, not amused by the colorful green and gold vine-like patterns on the page and words that hit so closely to truth.

I had visited Midgard on rare occasion in the past with Father and our people had incidentally fallen into the Mythology of mortals. We were revered as gods, that I knew, but I had no idea that a simple Midgardian fairytale book here in front of me would contain pages about myself.

"Put that down," I hissed. "That was written many, many years ago by foolish men that have all since died of old age and war."

Laurel's smile diminished slightly as she tried to contain it, but humor shone in her eyes. I growled lowly and took the book from her hand, placing it on top of the highest shelf and out of her reach. She frowned and jumped up to attempt to reach it. She was a foot shorter than me, but she came dangerously close to having her fingertips brush against the spine of the book. Sighing, I waved my hand and the book vanished. Laurel's eyes grew wide in surprise, and the book reappeared on top of the actual bookcase itself. Now it was hidden and left to gather the dust that would surely accumulate in no time. Nobody could reach it there.

"Now then. Do not read such childish and trivial things," I ordered.

She scowled at me and continued down the hall to browse the isles some more. Cursing lowly under my breath, I hoped that she didn't read about how Father greatly favored Thor. Of how 'brave and mighty Thor, The God of Thunder' was compared to a 'silly trickster, Loki, The God of Lies and Mischief'. The books were wrong. Everyone was wrong. Asgard would see my wrath and all would kneel under the weight of my power. Simple minded creatures, all of them!

In my frustration, I had hit one of the tall bookcases. A handful of books tumbled off of the shelves, landing at my feet.

Cursing in rage, I waved my hand over the books to magically transport them back on the shelf quickly. But, before I did, my eyes caught the title of another mythology book. 'The Chitauri' it read.

A wide, wicked smile crept over my face. This book, _this, _would be the undoing of Thor's future rule. This was my revenge. I remembered learning about them—reading scrolls in the library, but had long since forgotten. I would make an alliance with _them._

But it would take time to plan out carefully. I had to build up their trust. The Chitauri leader could be a distrustful and ruthless creature. I would have to prove myself to them, pledging allegiance.

It could take months.

I had to get started immediately. I would need to leave Laurel soon, tonight, perhaps. Negotiations with the Chitauri could be dangerous for Laurel, so I couldn't take her with me. She would evidently be safer here on Midgard while I left to prepare. I would return in due time, victorious, and take her with me.

I could use my skillful magic to transport between the realms. Heimdall could not sense those actions, even with his gift of sight. I had learned over the years how to cloak myself and others from his eyes. Leading the Jotuns into Asgard to disrupt Thor's coronation had been one successful attempt. I could do it again.

After our afternoon together, we headed back to Laurel's home. We continued to talk and exchange information about our realms. I wanted to know as much about her as I could in these last few hours together. I would leave tomorrow morning and, although I was eager to start my next journey, I didn't want to leave her. Laurel still had one foot in the age of a child and the other had her entering womanhood. I felt no romantic feelings for her. Yet, as my future queen, I cared for her. She intrigued me so and I found myself wondering what she would be like by the time my plan came to fruition.

Laurel's mother wouldn't arrive home until late tonight, according to Laurel herself. We spent the rest of the day discussing education, literature, and many more topics then she made dinner for the two of us.

Being as there was no place for me to sleep tonight, Laurel graciously offered to share her quarters with me. I purposely didn't mention to her the fact that I had enough power to go into town and threaten someone to let me board in their home for free. I wanted to be close to her. I had not an idea as to when the next time we would meet would be.

Stripping out of my 'borrowed' shirt from earlier, I sat down on the left side of her bed and awaited her return from the restroom. She stepped into the room, carrying her old clothing in hand, now wearing her pajama shorts and a t-shirt. She was blushing at my state of partial undress as she approached the bed.

"If you try any funny business, I'll scream loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear. The cops will be called in no time," she mumbled half jokingly.

I smiled back at her, studying her features one last time. I would leave early in the morning and be gone long before she awoke. This was the last time that we would speak to each other for now.

My eyes took in the graceful arch of her neck, her round lips, and her light grey irises. Her soft and youthful cheeks were pale and lovely. Her long, dark hair stopped just below her breasts. Laurel was short, five foot…three inches by my guess, and slight of build. She was still so young. More of a princess than a queen as of now. Her body had small curves and I guessed that she would gain a bit more by her early twenties.

I memorized as much of her as possible.

"Goodnight, Loki," she yawned as she climbed in the other side of the bed.

"Goodnight, Laurel."

**XXX**

As I walked through the woods, I remembered that Laurel's front door was still broken. I chuckled softly to myself, picturing how shocked she would be when she found out. Or perhaps her mother would find it first. Either way, I hoped that she'd forgive me.

Appearing at the original sight of my arrival, I searched the grounds. After fifteen minutes, I managed to find what I was hoping to discover: a piece of shrapnel from my armor. A tiny shard that was bent and mangled as I fell through the planes of space. It had fallen to earth with me.

I held it in the palm of my hand to study it. It was mostly golden, but bits and pieces of it held the emerald designs as well. Closing my eyes, I used my powers to instantly teleport it onto Laurel's bedside table. She'd have a small token to remember me by until my return.

With one last breath, I prepared to enter the Chitauri's realm.

**AN-Please review, guys! I've only got 10 reviews. Send me some feedback! I need to know what you like/hate! **

**Thank you for reading, following, and adding my story to your favorites. Until the next chapter! Bye, guys!**


	8. Chapter 7: Another Visitor

**AN-I got a question regarding a time lapse. My story will actually have more than one time lapse, though, I wont tell you how many. You'll just have to wait for more chapters! I just got done drafting up chapter 21 and I cant wait for more!**

******REMINDER: Pay attention to the title and name of each chapter! They give away small hints and important notes of each chapter itself.**

**Chapter 7: Another visitor**

I awoke the next day to find Loki gone from my side.

Rolling over to look around my room, I couldn't find him anywhere. I frowned, guessing that maybe he was somewhere else in the house, and got out of bed. I walked into the kitchen and discovered that I had actually overslept. Mom had already left for work and I needed to leave for school in half an hour. I had only a few minutes to find out if I was going to skip school and college to hang out with Loki for another day or not.

"Loki?" I called out. "Loki, where are you?"

No answer.

I walked out to kitchen and called for him again. Again, not a sound to answer me. Slight worry and shock came over me. Was he in danger? Where could he have gone? Did he decide to leave me or was he taken by someone? His past was sketchy enough from what I gathered and I wondered if his enemies had caught up to him.

The guy was crazy, a clothing thief, had some anger issues, and he was stronger than any body builder on earth…yet he hadn't really hurt me. He had scared me quite a bit at first and raised his voice rather often, but I liked having his company. We had talked for _hours _yesterday. Not only about where he came from and his back story, but topics I couldn't discuss with anyone else. Galaxies, surgical techniques, neuron firing, and the development of venipuncture through history. I hadn't found anyone at school to talk to about stuff like that. There was no one in my life that I could actually have an intellectual conversation with.

I thought we were becoming friends.

What could have happened to him?

Shuffling back to my bedroom to get dressed for school, I noticed something on my bedside table. It was a little chunk of metal, about the size of a quarter. It was flatter on one side and two long shards poked out of the bottom. The entire thing looked like a jumbled mass of junk, but it held a certain beauty to it. Gold was interwoven with shimmering, metallic green and black.

Like the colors of Loki's armor.

Last night while we ate dinner, he had described the attire he wore before plummeting through space and landing on Earth. He said that he wore an emerald cape, black and green garments, and strong armor on top. A helmet with great, arching antlers adorned his head. Loki described the armor being primarily golden with the other two colors adorning and decorating the metal.

Could this heavy object in my hand be what I suspected? Was it a piece of shrapnel that came from his armor as it was ripped away through the portal? Something told me that it was.

But how did it end up here—in my house?

Loki?

He had left me, willingly, and this hunk of metal was all I had to remember him by.

A deep frown marked my face as I walked through the house to get ready for school. The piece of Loki's armor now hung from a thin, black leather cord around my neck.

I doubted I would ever see him again. He was a god, after all, and years must feel like seconds to him.

**XXX**

"Where is the phone?" my mother asked me.

"I had to throw it away. It broke—I dropped it on accident"

She blinked in shock and then nodded, "It was a pretty crappy chunk of plastic anyways. I'll just have to buy another one from a different brand. Maybe I'll go to a tech center in town later today."

I chuckled nervously, wondering about the front door that Loki had kicked in yesterday morning after Mom had left for work. It was still broken when the two of us had returned from the bookstore in the late afternoon. We fell asleep before Mom got home, but she would have noticed it when she came home for the night.

I grabbed my backpack and cautiously walked to the front door. "Well, Mom, I gotta go. I don't want to be late for school. Bye! Love you!" I called. I really hoped she didn't mention the—

"The door," she stated. I cringed on the inside. Loki had left me a handful of problems to explain to my mother. I guess now was my chance to see if I could fib as well as 'The God of Lies and Mischief' according to that library book.

"What about it?" I mumbled.

"It's broken. The lock is done for and the door frame is cracked. What happened?"

I sighed, trying to find something in my head to grasp and use as an excuse. "Um.."

"Laurel?" she warned.

"I broke it. I was locked out of the house. I forgot my key so I picked up a rock and hit the doorknob repeatedly. I—I know that you always tell me not to forget my house key, but I just left it at home on accident. I came home from school and it was dark outside. I freaked out and wanted inside the house ASAP so I just…"

"Broke the door?" Mom finished. I nodded and she sighed tiredly. "You could have just called me to come home early. Why didn't you do that?"

I looked down at my shoes. "I didn't want you to say 'I told you so' about my key."

She frowned, "So you broke the door? Well, I'll call someone to fix it later today. You'll have to do extra chores around the house to make up for it. And more chores on top of that since you decided to skip school yesterday."

My eyes widened and shot up to meet hers.

"What?"

"you're grounded. The school called me at the office yesterday when you didn't show up. I covered for you and said that you were sick at home. Don't ever do it again, okay? No skipping school," she stressed. I nodded, apologized profusely, and then opened the front door to leave. When the door swung open, a man in a suit stood on the welcome mat.

"Hello, there. I am Phil Coulson and I'm investigating a mysterious storm that seemed to have happened a few days ago in the area. Would you care to talk for a few minutes with me?" the man said.

"Are you a meteorologist? A weatherman?" I asked.

He smiled, "Something like that."

"Uhh…" I mumbled unsurely. I looked over my shoulder at my mom. She just shrugged, sat down on the couch, and waved me over. I frowned. This man wanted to know about the phenomenon that brought Loki to Earth. I mentally cursed him for leaving behind the mess he did. I had to clean it all up, now. Damn Asgardian!

But I still missed him.

"Sure," I finally responded uncertainly. "Come on in."

"Great," he took out a pad of paper and a pen. I rolled my eyes as we both walked over to the couch where my mom currently sat. I took a seat next to her and Mr. Coulson sat down in one of the chairs in front of us.

He cleared his throat and started. "So then, first question… What are your names?"

Mom spoke up for the both of us, "I am Amanda Wilson and this is my daughter Laurel."

"Where is Mr. Wilson? Work?"

"He left when Laurel was three."

"Oh. My apologies, then."

Mom just shrugged. "It's not big deal. It happened many years ago. So what do you want to know about the storm?" she continued.

"Right. Where were the two of you when this happened? Did you witness the event?" he asked.

Mom answered first, "I was in the office at work. I didn't see or hear the storm, but as I left to go home at eleven my coworkers chatted in the elevator about it. They told me what they had heard. Just some clouds, lightning, and thunder. Pretty basic stuff."

Mr. Coulson turned to me next, looking for my answer.

I coughed awkwardly, "I was on my way home from the library. It had just gotten dark. On my way, there was a bit of thunder and lightning. It didn't rain, though. I was pretty grateful for that."

He nodded, "Did you _see _the storm?"

"Well, yeah. It wasn't that hard to miss."

"Where was the majority of the lightning coming from? Which direction?"

I fidgeted. Who the hell was this guy and why was he asking specific questions about the storm? _I _knew it wasn't a regular weather event, but did _he_? I wanted to be careful. I didn't want to give Loki away.

"I'm not sure. Somewhere off in the distance. It was pretty dark when it all happened and it cleared up rather quickly as well. Just a passing storm, you know?"

Mr. Coulson's eyes narrowed slightly in disbelief. Something was definitely off about this guy. I hoped that Loki was okay right now. "Well if you remember anything, here's my card." He handed Mom and I each a tiny, white card of stiff paper. 'Phil Coulson' and a phone number were the only pieces of information listed. That's suspicious. "Thank you, ladies for the information."

Everyone got up and I slipped my backpack on once more. Mom moved to grab her keys, said goodbye to Mr. Coulson and I, then walked out the door and down the driveway to her car. Mr. Coulson and I followed to exit the house, but he stopped suddenly.

"Laurel, what is this?" he asked. I stepped closer to the area he questioned. Mr. Coulson was peering down at a single, tiny, dried up droplet of blood on the floorboards.

Loki's blood.

I must have missed it with the bleach after suturing Loki's wound that first night. Mentally cursing myself and the long gone Asgardian, I frowned distastefully at the droplet of blood that mocked me.

"That's mine. I cut myself on accident," I spoke.

"What is the blood doing all the way out here by the door? And speaking of your door…why is it broken?" he asked carefully.

A lie settled on the tip of my tongue and I verbalized it. "I was locked out on the night of the storm. I had left my key at home and the storm had unsettled me. I had a kind of nervous fit and used a rock to break into my own house. I cut my hand in the process. See?" I lifted my hand up, showing him the cut on my hand that I had gotten from falling in the woods. "I got the one on my cheek from running home as well. I'm pretty clumsy."

He nodded, taking his attention away from the droplet of blood on the entryway floor. "You'd better be more careful then, Laurel," he warned as he walked over the threshold and off of the porch.

Mr. Coulson's words unsettled me slightly and I tried to push them out of my mind to no avail.


	9. Chapter 8: Reunion

******REMINDER: Pay attention to the title and name of each chapter! They give away small hints and important notes of each chapter itself.**

**Chapter 8: Reunion **

Cheers erupted around the entire auditorium.

Royal blue caps flew high into the air and arced gracefully before falling back to the carpeted ground. People hurriedly bent down to retrieve their's and I did the same.

I had just graduated from college. Sure, it was a technical college, but I learned many great things. I had left high school a while ago with good grades and promise. After that, I had two years of prerequisite classes and another two years devoted to my program. My summer semesters were even filled with classes during those four years, totaling to twelve semesters of school without a break.

Besides schooling, my months of interning at the local hospital had opened up numerous job opportunities all over the country. I had chosen a hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and I was scheduled to leave in two weeks. At the age of twenty-one, I was finally about to start the life I always had planned for myself. My life was beginning.

It was a long journey that was now over. Another one lay before me and I couldn't wait to start.

If I could only find my damned graduation cap…

"I believe you are looking for this," a level, cool voice spoke to me.

I looked up from the ground, finding my blue cap to be in the grasp of a pale hand. My eyes trailed from that hand, up an arm, and to the face of the man before me. Emerald eyes blinked and looked back into mine. His clean shaven face was kind but his features held an air of authority and power. Black hair framed it all and topped off his look. The man was almost unrecognizable in the perfectly tailored black suit that he wore, despite the fact that he hadn't aged a bit since I last saw him quite some time ago.

"Loki," I breathed. I tried to gently take the cap from his grasp, but he held onto it tightly. Instead, he slowly tugged it back out of my grip and smiled crookedly down at me. He placed it carefully on top of my head, never taking his gaze from mine.

"You're taller," he commented.

I lifted a high heeled foot off of the ground by a few inches and replied, "It's the shoes."

"But you look so different," he whispered.

"I'm older. You were gone for four years."

He nodded, "I'm sorry. Please forgive my rudeness. How are you? Where is your mother? She should be congratulating you right now." His unsettled appearance was pushed aside and a tight smile took its place.

I brushed aside my worry at his reaction and answered, "I'm here by myself…my mother died in a car accident two years ago."

Loki's eyebrows drew together in concern. "My condolences. My own mother is very important to me so I can only imagine what you must be feeling, Laurel."

I smiled, "Thank you. I miss her, but I stopped grieving a while ago. I try to look forward to life as it comes at me, rather than hold onto the past too much." My mom was killed in a head on collision with another car. Drunk driver: the common incident that claimed too many lives each year. I sighed, having healed from the pain of her loss but always missing her presence. She pushed me to always pursue my college dreams and even her death had kept me driven. Now, I had graduated with a degree.

"Well, she would have been proud of you. I know that I am."

Thanking him, I studied his features. Not a wrinkle or gray hair touched him. He truly was immortal and unchanging. I wondered if he'd ever age hundreds of years later. Surely, he'd only continue to look just as handsome. I'd always thought of him as attractive when I was younger—already developing a crush on him in just a few hours…now those feelings threatened to return. Loki was smart, strong, tall, and handsome. Who wouldn't find it hard to resist his charm?

Moving onwards, I cleared my throat and changed the subject to a more cheerful one. "How have you been? Where did you run off to for so long? And your hair is longer! It almost brushes against the tops of your shoulders, now."

"That is true. My hair has grown a bit," he replied and then paused, thinking. "Perhaps we should take this conversation somewhere else? How about we go for a drive? I'll take you home and we can talk then."

I smiled and laughed lightly, "You have a car? Last time I saw you, you didn't even have the clothes on your back. Now you're wearing a fancy suit and offering to drive me home in your _car_. I'm not the only one who has changed."

He smiled. "Don't be so daft, Laurel. I've always been like this. You just so happened to meet me at a different time. Come, let's go," he commanded softly. He held out his arm to me and I gently took it. I looped my arm through his much larger one, then he placed a hand on top of mine. Together, we walked out to the parking lot in silence.

Loki led me to a sleek, black Jaguar and I ogled it for a moment. "This is yours?" I asked in wonder.

He smiled widely, "It is now."

"I'm not even going to ask what you mean by that," I commented and pointed a finger his way as I narrowed my eyes. I really hoped that he attained this vehicle legally and not by _borrowing _it like he did with my neighbor's clothing years ago. My neighbors immediately went out and bought a dryer the day after the incident, rather than continuing to leave wet clothes out on the line to hang. I always felt guilty about that…but it also made me laugh.

Loki opened the door for me and I moved to sit down, but stopped. "Do you mind if I change out of this before we go? I have regular clothes underneath this silly gown, but I'd really like to get out of it," I asked and motioned down at my outfit with a wave.

"I do not mind," he answered. He still held onto the handle while I stood in between the corner that the car and open door made. I took off my cap first and placed it on the roof of the car. Then I shuffled out of the blue gown, revealing my black dress underneath. The bottom of the dress was knee length and the neckline was sweetheart. It had shoulder sleeves and was overall a pretty conservative piece to wear. It did cling to my slight curves, but still left enough to the imagination. One of my favorites.

I folded up the blue graduation gown and grabbed my hat. "Where do I put these?" I asked, turning back around to face my old friend.

Surprise washed over me when I found him shamelessly studying my body. Oh how the tide has turned. When I first met him, I was having trouble keeping my eyes off of _him_—especially since he was unclothed half of the time and I was just a hormonal teenager. It felt good to be the one in control now.

"Loki?" I urged, "My clothes? Where do you want them?"

"On the floor," he replied. A moment later he chuckled, " Let me clarify…your _graduation _garments can go on the floor, or if you prefer, the backseat."

I held back my laughter as I tossed the blue clothing in the back of the car. I sat down in the passenger seat and Loki shut the door. Moments later, he reappeared at the driver's side and he sat down next to me. He started the car and its engine purred while Loki swiftly pulled out of the lot.

"I don't suppose you still live at the same home as before, do you? What about your car? I suspect that you _do _have one like most Midgardians your age. Will I have to come back and get it for you later?" he inquired.

Smiling at his attentiveness, I answered. "No, I live in an apartment downtown. I can give you directions while we talk and catch up. As for my car: yes I do have one, but it is not here. I got a ride here from a friend earlier." Loki nodded, finding my replies to be sufficient enough. I watched him drive for a few minutes in silence. His arms looked strong and chiseled as they gripped the wheel, despite the fact that they were hidden under his coat sleeves. His green eyes were locked onto the road, unwavering.

"Turn left here, please," I spoke and he turned the car fluidly a moment later. "I'm quite surprised that you know how to actually drive a car, let alone drive it well," I commented. Loki drove fast and with great precision.

He chuckled, "Yes, well I think that this particular car was rather appropriate."

"How so?"

"It's sleek and strong," he replied. "_Powerful_."

I nodded, wondering if that was exactly how Loki viewed himself. "Do I really look that different? Do I look old?" I asked with a humorless laugh. Slight worry peaked within me. I was twenty-one now. I could legally drink alcohol! I had grown up…but did I _look _like a 'grown up'?

Loki turned his attention from the road for a second to look me in the eyes. "You'll have to forgive my words earlier. I did not mean them the way they sounded. You do not appear old—quite the contrary. You seem to age rather well compared to most of your kind. You look younger than twenty-one, actually. I would have guessed you to be slightly younger if I hadn't known what you looked like at seventeen."

"Are you saying that when you first met me…I looked like a child?" I inquired, motioning for him to turn right at the stop light coming up. The car rolled to a halt, obeying the rules of the red light, and casting us is it's fiery glow.

"You _were _a child, Laurel."

I frowned, "You know what I mean."

He smiled and elaborated his statement. "You looked a few years younger than seventeen. Now you look like you could pass for a few years younger than twenty-one. I've heard that it is a complement to your kind from what I've gathered. But yes, referring to your earlier question, you look very different than the first time I saw you. You look like a woman, now," he chuckled darkly. The light turned green and it shone upon Loki's features. I always thought that green would look nice on him, matching his emerald eyes.

I turned to gaze out the window and bit my lip as a blush crept over my face. I _had _changed since four years ago. I had filled out a bit, but still was rather slim. My breasts had gone from an A cup to a full B and my hips had grown into soft curves. I went from a tiny teen in size zero jeans to a tiny _woman _in size three jeans with slightly bigger boobs.

Meanwhile, Loki looked exactly the same—save for the slightly longer hair. He still appeared to be in his mid to late twenties.

"So what brings you back here to Midgard?" I asked using his term for Earth. The corners of his mouth turned upwards at that and he quickly hid it.

"Do you remember one of our last conversations, Laurel? We were outside that bookstore when you told me that you had a plan for your future—a goal. You described how it would take a few years, but it was just within your reach. It seems that you were not the only one. After I left you four years ago, I began to work towards a goal _I _had. I'm almost there."

My own smile diminished and a serious curiosity sunk in. "You have plans? What are they?"

He paused, thinking clearly before speaking. "I want to be someone who isn't forgotten easily. I want to prove certain people in my life wrong. I desire—I _hunger _after a cataclysm of brilliance! A perfect catastrophe that destroys the parts of me I don't like in order to reveal the others. Then, and only then, can I truly be free. I will no longer have to feel so—"

"Trapped?" I finished. Last time when I had told Loki of my plans for the future, he had finished a sentence of mine in the exact same way. He caught onto this and chuckled lowly, "Yes, Laurel."

Thinking back to my original question, "So these plans…you left and then came back to Eart—Midgard because of them how?"

"I had to leave you in order to start on this new journey. I came back because I now have a period of time that is free to do whatever I so please. Currently, I just await orders from my superiors. I wanted to visit you, as I was previously very busy before."

I tilted my head to the side, "Superiors?"

"Yes. A necessary evil as I am in need of some assistance for my goals."

Frowning, I murmured, "That sounds dangerous. It all just reminds me of some crime drama movie with mob bosses and drug lords. Are you sure you're not in over your head? What _exactly _is going on, anyway?"

"I am fine," he said briskly. I didn't believe him.

"Are you sure? Loki, if you're in trouble, just tell me. What is going on?" I repeated.

"You don't need to always know everything, Laurel!" Loki shouted abruptly. I flinched, having gotten so used to his calming demeanor and forgetting that he had quite a temper. I swallowed uncomfortably and lowered my eyes. "No, I suppose that I don't," I whispered. I cleared my throat and murmured, "My apartment is the third building on the left here."

He parked the car, stopped the engine, and sighed. He unbuckled and turned around in his seat to face me. The leather seat groaned as he shuffled his position and I felt him lean in closer. His warm breath tickled the side of my neck as I avoided his gaze.

"Laurel, I am fine"

I lifted my eyes from the floor to meet his. His eyes were much darker in the lack of bright light and they appeared almost black. "I'm just worried, you know? You were the only person that I could really be myself with—and I'd only known you for a few days! I don't have any friends to talk to about intellectual conversation. My friends all got married and settled down. They only want to talk about raising a family and boring gossip. You were the _only _one…and then you left. Now you're back and I just want to make sure that you're not in trouble."

"I'm always in trouble," he replied calmly. I gave him an incredulous look and he continued. "That is just how it is, Laurel. I'm not a good guy. I am Loki Odinson, The God of Lies and Mischief, remember?"

I nodded slowly.

"Then you'll just have to accept the fact that there are some things out of your control. I have a life far different than what you'd expect and I will not burden you with it. Just let it go, Laurel."

I chewed on my lower lip as I thought about what he said. Loki had his right to keep secrets and I didn't mean to pry. If Loki was in danger, which I now figured was the case, he sounded like he knew what he was doing. Surely, as a god, he was capable of keeping his own safety. I was going to trust that he could handle it. Besides, we were simply like long distance friends from different worlds that recently reconnected. Did I really have the right to worry and coddle him? "Okay, you're right. I apologize for overstepping," I murmured.

He smiled. "Now, then, I came back to visit the girl that saved my life four years ago. What do we do?"

My smile matched his, "Would you like to come in?"

**AN-Please review! This is the eighth chapter (ninth if you count the prologue) and I have less than 20 reviews. Please give me some feedback! **

**Big thanks to all that favorite/follow/and review!**

**Thank you for reading!**


	10. Chapter 9: The Great Red Dragon

******REMINDER: Pay attention to the title and name of each chapter! They give away small hints and important notes of each chapter itself.**

**Chapter 9: The Great Red Dragon**

The Chitauri were beginning to trust me—barely.

I spent the last four years doing their bidding and in return, they did mine. It was a bit of a balancing act, really. Since I knew how to transport myself through space, traveling without the use of a portal or Bifrost, the Chitauri used it to their advantage.

In four years I had become somewhat of an assassin, thief, and spy—all wrapped up into one. I killed whoever the Chitauri wanted dead, stole valuable written texts along with sacred items, and listened in on realm leaders' conversations. For me, the Chitauri promised me an army once my plan reached it's peak. I wanted possession and total rule of Asgard. There were many more steps in order for that to happen and Midgard played a vital role in this process.

Now, the Chitauri were pleased with my most recent work. I had delivered to them the name and location of the pathetic organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. and their files containing all of their agents. I awaited their next command and since I was already on Midgard, I decided to remain here for the next step.

And Laurel was here.

She looked very different since the last time I saw her. Her hair was much longer, now hitting the small of her back. She was taller by an inch. Her youthful, rounded face had narrowed slightly to expose her cheekbones and smooth jaw line. The major difference was her form. She had always been skinny with her long, slender arms fit for a ballerina and a neck like a swan's. Now, her hips had widened, preparing her body for future childbearing—though I remember that Laurel was adamantly against motherhood for herself. Her breasts were slightly more prominent as well, yet she remained slim and the curves were small. My favorite new feature of hers were her hips and thighs. Since they had filled out, they added a softness to her slight pear shaped figure.

She looked mature—like a queen rather than the little princess I first met.

On a side note, Laurel had always been the opposite of Sigyn—who had ample curves to her hourglass body. Sigyn was also daft, desperate, and needy. I was glad that she thought me to be dead, currently, even if I did think of her as a sort of 'friend'.

Despite Laurel's change in appearance, her mind was as sharp and vast as I remembered. Pride for my future wife began to grow inside of me when I discovered that she was to attend a ceremony celebrating her education—graduation. So naturally, I went to this ceremony and that was how we got reacquainted with each other.

And then Laurel invited me into her apartment.

We both got out of the Jaguar I had stolen—just one among many plunders, and climbed up the steps to her apartment. It was a two story building, but was more narrow than most Midgardian homes I had seen. It was a pale ivory color, currently tinted blue from the moonlight. The yard was pleasant and well kept, but not quite of my liking. Too many flowers, no doubt, tended to by Laurel herself.

Laurel unlocked the door and we stepped into darkness. With a _click _the room was illuminated to reveal a homely living quarter…but it was much too small for my liking. Most Midgardian homes were pathetically tiny and dull. Their richer individuals had much larger homes—mansions, but none compared to the beauty of Asgard.

"Would you like anything? Water? Coffee?" she asked politely.

I smiled and replied, "Coffee."

She nodded and disappeared around the corner. "You can sit anywhere you'd like," she called out from the kitchen. I grunted, agreeing with her. I _would _sit anywhere I so pleased. I thought it funny how Laurel had witnessed moments of my strength and power, yet she continued to treat me like anyone else. I didn't mind it now, but perhaps when the time came for me to make her my queen…then she would need to take notice of my ability.

But for now, I found it quite charming.

Strolling through her abode, I studied it carefully. Shelves adorned with novels lined the living room. An antique globe of Midgard stood on the corner. I walked down the hall, boots clanking on the hardwood floor. Pictures and sketches of the human heart were hanging on the walls. Here, I stopped and frowned. I knew for certain from our healer's texts in the library what our anatomy looked like. Gods and mortals were identical. What a silly thing. Our hearts—the masses of muscle and tissue that pumped warm, hot blood throughout our bodies…were exactly the same. If one race of beings was superior to the other, then shouldn't they at least look just as different as they felt?

I could easily kill countless mortals with my bare hands in a minute, but nobody would know exactly so unless they were to witness it. To the humans, I was just one of them. Such a simple concept.

Then why did it anger me so?

Perhaps, I wanted to be noticed.

The sound of Laurel's curses flitted into my ears as she burned herself in the kitchen. I held back a laugh and kept walking through the apartment. At the end of the hall was a metal, spiral staircase. Laurel's sleeping quarters must be up there. Curious, I began to climb up the metal frame.

"Loki?" Laurel called.

Stepping back a few paces, I retraced my steps and reappeared in the living room. "I must have wandered off," I stated.

Her eyes narrowed slightly in confusion but she dismissed it. Her smile returned and she handed me a mug of hot coffee. As I took the cup from her grasp, I noticed the burn on her hand. It was small and of the lowest degree. It wouldn't blister, but I'm sure it still stung. I set my coffee down on the table and then strode into the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" she asked, confused.

I ignored her as I searched for a rag. Having found a clean dishcloth hanging by the sink, I grabbed it and held it under the faucet. When I returned to the living room, I took Laurel's small hand in mine. Pressing the cool, damp rag to her red palm, I spoke. "Does it sting? Be honest with me."

Her drawn together brows slowly relaxed and her confused features softened. "A little bit. The four signs of inflammation are already setting in—pain, redness, heat, and swelling. But I doubt it will progress to blister and scar, though." I dabbed at the site and she winced, but thanked me for helping her. Her voice was a quiet murmur and held a trace of a waiver. A blush colored her ivory cheeks.

She was embarrassed.

Her eyes were low and I wanted to look at her closer. I cleared my throat and her long lashes flickered as she turned her attention away from her hand to meet the intensity of my gaze. Laurel's grey eyes peered up at me and a lock of her dark, almost black hair had fallen in front of her face. I desperately ached to reach forward and brush it aside, but contained myself.

"Now, then. Shall we sit?" I offered.

She nodded, motioning for us to sit down, and we did. The two of us sat on opposite corners of the couch facing one another. She held the rag in place over her hand and spoke.

"So, how long do you think you'll be staying around this time?" she asked.

"I do not know," I replied truthfully. "It could be a few days. No more than a couple of weeks, I am hoping. The Ch—my _superiors_," I hated calling them that. None were superior to me. I only allowed them to _think _that they could control me. Once I had their army under my command, I would show them just how cruel I could be. "My superiors will let me know when they need me next."

She nodded, taking a sip out of her mug. "Where are you staying? Somewhere nice, I presume, from the looks of your suit and car."

I smirked, thinking of the large home I had broken into. The pathetic owner of the house was long gone by now—done away with like a small nuisance. "Yes, it is nice. It is quite far from town, though. An hour long drive if the traffic is light. What about you? How much longer do you think you'll be here? Freshly graduated from college and a bright future ahead of you…"

She laughed for a bit and then settled herself. I decided that I liked the way her laugh sounded. I liked seeing the way her eyes crinkled up as her soft pink lips parted. The way her pale neck extended gracefully as she tilted her head back. "Two weeks. After that, I'll be heading to Pittsburgh to start my job. I really should be packing up my things by now. I guess I'm just being lazy. Procrastinating."

Pittsburgh. I'd have to remember that.

We talked some more about the immediate future for the next hour. Our empty mugs now sat on the table and a pile of books was spread across the floor.

"Now this one," Laurel said excitedly as she bent down to retrieve it. Her dress slid up slightly in the action, revealing more of the snow white skin I loved to see. "This one is a favorite: 'Red Dragon' by Thomas Harris."

"What is it about?" I inquired.

"A serial killer," she replied with a smile. A crease formed in between my eyebrows. Now this would be interesting indeed. "Go on, tell me more," I replied.

"Well, I'm not too fond of the killing part…but I can relate to the killer in some ways. Throughout the course of the book, he talks about his 'Becoming'. The killer has a goal in mind of what he wants to _become_. He tries to transform himself into 'The Dragon' and I can relate to that."

"And did you?" I ask.

Frowning, she asked for clarification, "Did I what?"

"Did you become the dragon of your own journey?"

She pursed her lips and thought for a moment before responding. "Yes, I suppose I did."

"Good," I replied.

**AN-Thanks so much for all the alerts! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please follow and review! I only have 38 reviews out of my 9 (technically 10) chapters and I would love some feedback! **

**Until next time!**


	11. Chapter 10: The Mirror of Truth

**AN-Thank you for reading and thanks for all the alerts! **

**If you havent already been paying attention to the titles of my chapters, you should! Their names give away little hints and important lines of the chapter itself. **

**Chapter 10: The Mirror of Truth**

Loki had gone back to his place, wherever that was, just after midnight. I went to bed exhausted and dreaming of other worlds besides mine—worlds in which great armies battled. Green and gold flags waved in the breeze. Great halls and feasts.

I dreamed of what Asgard might be like.

Well, what my brain could _pretend _it to look like anyways.

I awoke the next morning, refreshed, and tied my long hair up in a ponytail. I drank some coffee, munched on toast, and brushed my teeth. Adorning some old jeans and a t-shirt, I headed outside to garden before the sun rose too high in the sky.

While I worked, I couldn't stop my mind from wandering. Thoughts swirled in my head.

I wondered how long Loki would stay here on Earth. I had really missed him and last night's conversations were incredibly entertaining. Come to think of it, I couldn't quite remember all that we discussed. Yet I knew that I was having fun the entire time. While we spoke, time seemed to have passed slowly and swiftly simultaneously. It was as if we could talk forever, frozen in time, but once it had become too late at night and Loki had to go home…the conversation had stopped entirely too early.

He had some strange hold over my mind and body. He always did, ever since I was a flustered teen.

I wiped the sweat from my hairline and focused on planting the new lilies I purchased a few weeks ago. They had grown too big for their containers so I was transplanting them. My landlord and I had an agreement: I could plant whatever small plants that I wished just as long as I took them with me when I moved out. Two weeks from now, I would just have to gently dig up and repot my plants for transport. Then I'd have to fill in the holes in the ground with fresh mulch. It was worth it, though, to have some temporary beauty to look at while I lived here.

My mind kept bringing up one sole question as I worked. Even as I pushed my slim arms, working hard to pack the soil under my hands, I was simultaneously trying to shove the burning question away from the forefront of my mind.

Why did Loki want to come back to visit _me_?

He was a god and I was a silly human. Sure I'd saved his life once, but he didn't have to come back to see me just because he had a bit of free time now. Why did I matter? I'm sure he could talk to any one of his people that he so pleased. Why me?

"Slaving away in the hot sun, are you?" a familiar voice murmured behind me.

Loki.

**XXX**

Driving back to Laurel's place of dwelling, I stopped the car and parked it across the street. Her figure wasn't hard to miss, since she was crouched on hands and knees to dig in the earth. Her slender arms, sinewy shoulders, and delicately rounded hips taunted me.

My future wife was already tormenting my mind and body.

It was a simpler life four years ago when we first met. She was still a child! Now, Laurel was a woman and my thoughts were constantly drifting off to picture her doing things that a woman would…to me.

I growled and stormed out of the vehicle, trousers fitting slightly more snug over my crotch due to my wandering thoughts.

"Slaving away in the hot sun, are you?" I called out to her.

She looked back over her shoulder to study me. Her eyes lit up like the stars, but she contained herself. I smiled inwardly while she sat up on her knees and wiped her brow with the back of her left arm.

"Loki? You came back so soon. I thought I wouldn't see you for another four years," she joked. I smirked at her comment. Half of me wanted to punish her for taunting me. The other half wanted to punish her, reward her, and punish her again with my touch.

"Yes, well as I said last night…I have more time on my hands now," I spoke coolly. "Why are you out here working, if I might ask? Wont your fair skin burn?" What a shame it would be for such porcelain flesh to be marked by the sun. It would be a sin! Though, I would so desperately like to see her skin flush and pink.

"SPF seventy," she replied. "You might need some, too if you're going to be standing out here for long. You're just as pale as I am."

"Perhaps," I spoke. Nonsense. The sunlight could not touch me. Unlike most Asgardians, my skin could not tan. I was forever light and glowing like the moon while everyone around me shone like the sun with their golden pigmentation. An odd feature of mine.

She bent back over to continue working and my eyes gazed at her body while she spoke. "I'm almost finished here. I'll be done in a minute. Is there anything you wanted to talk about in particular?"

I absently responded by shaking my head and then remembered that she eyes weren't facing my direction and she had no idea what motions I made. I cleared my throat and replied again, "Not really. I just wanted to see you. Although, I do wonder where the best places to dine are. I'm quite curious about the attractions in the area as well." A bit of a lie. I didn't care about the city and its restaurants. I just couldn't stay away from Laurel.

She laughed lightly and started to reply. I couldn't quite hear her, though, as my mind was elsewhere. Right when she had started speaking, my eyes had caught a glimpse of purple in the lawn just two strides away. As Laurel continued rambling in the distance of my attention, I approached the speck of color.

A little flower no bigger than a coin grew up and out of a cluster of delicate leaves. It has seeded and rooted itself in the middle of the grassy area, far from its fellow kingdom members of Plantae. Alone. It was quite beautiful, really.

Beautifully pitiful.

I closed one eye, squinting down at the pathetic thing.

My boot poised over top of the creature. The heel of my shoe made contact with the earth while the sole hovered still above the violet petals by just an inch. The wind blew, shaking the tiny plant, giving it the illusion of a trembling animal. Like it could sense its demise.

It cowered beneath me.

The toe of my boot pivoted a few degrees so that when I pressed it downwards into the earth, a single green leaf of the plant was imprinted into the dirt.

"Loki? What have you got there?" Laurel's voice interrupted my thought process.

"Nothing—" I quickly lied, but she got up out of her stance and walked over to me curiously.

"Oh, you found a pansy. Poor thing. I planted a bunch of them over by the window there. This one must have blown away in the wind as a seed. What an odd place to germinate. So far from home."

"Yes. So far from home, indeed," I muttered.

Laurel's eyes sparked up with excitement as she turned to me. "Here's a thought…you can transplant it. I'll help you," she recommended.

My mouth opened to protest, but Laurel had already strode back over to her original workplace to grab some tools. She trotted back over towards my post and knelt down at my feet. Oh! I thought I would lose control of myself as I saw my queen kneeling before me! To have her kneeling below me stirred up feelings of pride and arousal within my abdomen. I mentally cursed myself and her. It took all of my willpower not to entwine my hands forcefully in her dark hair.

So instead, I knelt down as well.

Laurel's gloved hands began to smooth the long strands of grass back and away from the flower. Once she had ample room to work, she grasped the small hand held shovel in her grip and stabbed it into the dirt. She cut the earth, making a complete circle radiating two inches away from the pansy and then set the tool down on the ground. She then removed her gloves.

"Here, I'll roll up your sleeves for you," she offered. I wanted to protest, to shout out that I was perfectly capable as a prince of Asgard to roll up my own damned sleeves, but I did no such thing. I wanted to feel her touch.

Her slim, dainty fingers made quick work on my shirt. Laurel was careful not to bunch up the fabric and for that I was glad. Her touch was gentle and her fingertips were soft. Like the wind blowing against my skin.

"Now, it is best to not use gloves at this point—though it can get tricky. The plant's root systems are rather delicate and gloves aren't ideal for that kind of work. You aren't afraid of a little dirt, are you?"

I scoffed and she smiled, "Good."

I watched as her tiny fingers pried into the circular cut she made in the earth. Her fingertips were nimble as she felt around, reaching up underneath the bundle of dirt and roots. I studied her face as she worked slowly. She bit her lip, being careful not to harm the plant. "Hold out your hands, Loki," she murmured.

A tiny ember of fire—anger, lit inside of me as she commanded my action, but I snuffed it out quickly. I complied, for her.

I held my palms out and open. Waiting.

Laurel gently placed the slice of earth into my hands like she was handing me a newborn babe. Though I knew for certain that she didn't much care for children, I wondered if the usual love for infants that women have was just transferred onto plantlife in Laurel's case. She looked at the thing I thought of as pitiful and weak just moments ago, as something to be protected and cherished.

"Plants are special this way. They may not be able to move much on their own and they certainly can't speak for themselves, but that's why they need us sometimes." She paused and poked my hand with her finger. "There, in your hand, is a tiny life. You could just as easily crush it between your clutches…or…you could plant it somewhere it can be safe."

"But I _had _tried to crush it beneath me just moments ago," I admitted angrily. Laurel was acting like a fool. How would she make a strong queen when she was being too soft? "It's a _plant, _Laurel. Weak. Why shouldn't I crush what is beneath me?"

Hopefully, my admittance would open her eyes to the workings of the universe. Life was unfair and hurtful at times. She needed to know that.

Her eyes narrowed at me as we moved over toward the window. Laurel looked away from me to work on clearing a spot for the pitiful organism in my clutches."You'll have to forgive me for thinking otherwise. Knowing that you could destroy something so fragile and actually choosing to spare it sounds a lot better to me," she said.

Laurel took the bundle of dirt and roots from my hand and placed it in the earth. I remained silent, watching her carefully. Had I made her mad? If I did, I would not quite mind it as long as she was learning from me in the process. It was a cruel universe. The sooner she learned and opened up her mind to it, the happier she would be in the long run.

My mind was a looking glass—one of revelation. A mirror of truth. I was constantly looking back at the angry, disappointed reflection of myself. Another version of Loki Odinson. He told me that Laurel would be better off if she became more like us. She needed to know the truth of existence. The weak were to be ruled by the strong. It was the epitome of balance.

She finished packing down the soil around the plant. She sighed, leaned back on her heels, and brushed a strand of hair aside from her eyes. Turning back to me with a sad smile, as if she got a glimpse of my true nature, she spoke.

"Kindness isn't a weakness, Loki."

And with that last line, a minute crack formed in my mirror.

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	12. Chapter 11: Just One Taste

**AN-Sorry for the break in my writing! I had some school stuff to deal with. Here is the next chapter! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 11: Just One Taste**

I hated packing.

In less than a week I would be moving to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was both very excited and afraid. I had always lived in this town. Pittsburgh would be an entirely new experience for me…but I looked forward to it.

Also, I could drive to New York on the weekends. I researched the driving time and getting to 'The Big Apple' could take anywhere between seven to ten hours. I could start the drive early Friday mornings, arrive in the afternoon, and have dinner in the city. Then, I could spend the rest of Friday and Saturday enjoying the lovely area and drive back at the end on Sunday. I couldn't wait.

My life was finally starting.

The sound of duct tape ripping and tearing filled my apartment. For now, I was packing up the extra stuff I didn't need for the moment: décor around the house, my winter clothing, all of my shoes—excluding one pair…they were all now in cardboard boxes. I would leave on Sunday, so I'd have to dig up my plants on Saturday and cover them in bubble wrap for safe keeping during the drive.

I had a busy week ahead of me.

"Should I come back later?" a velvety voice breathed in my ear. I spun around quickly in alarm, bumping straight into Loki's tall form. His arms reached out and steadied me.

"Careful, Laurel," he chuckled.

I blinked abruptly. "What are you doing here?! How did you get in? My doors are _locked_."

Loki had come to visit me a few more times in the past week since I was gardening. He always showed up unannounced, so I wondered why it still came as a shock to me when he spontaneously appeared. Maybe he just liked to get my heart racing when I got startled.

"I learned a few tricks. I can open doors without needing to break the locks now," he replied.

"Good to know." Now I wouldn't get in trouble for Loki breaking down doors anymore like he did four years ago.

Loki's green eyes bore into my cool gray ones. His shoulder length hair hung forward on one side like a dark shadow. It partially eclipsed my view of his facial features and I wanted to brush it backwards. It looked so soft…

Clearing my throat, I broke away. My eyes were now downcast.

"Can I help with anything?" he offered.

I laughed lightly. "Loki, prince of Asgard, is going to help a mere mortal like myself? I am honored," I exclaimed jokingly. The mood changed from seriousness to light teasing and fun.

His eyes darkened and he gave me a mischievous smile. Somehow, the expression fit well upon his face. He _was _The God of Lies and Mischief. "Do not taunt me, human female," he growled lowly with a wide grin. "You would not like me when I am angry."

I bit my lip, holding in a playful giggle. A part of me wanted to push him, testing his control. I knew that he wouldn't hurt me, he made that promise years ago, but I was curious what Loki was like past the serious façade. "I've seen you angry before. I think I could take you," I teased.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, sir."

It must have been my poor choice of wording, because the instant I had said 'sir' his lips parted with a silent sigh. He looked down at me menacingly, brows furrowed, and lunged.

A squeal of laughter choked in my throat and instead a sharp gasp was the only sound as Loki tackled me onto the couch. My eyes widened in surprise and a small amount of excitement and fear crept through me. Loki devoured those feelings…

with his lips.

His mouth pressed firmly against mine and a shiver of delight shook me. I had never kissed anyone before. I had only imagined what it was like and now I finally knew. Before, I would have guessed my first kiss to be slow and gentle: a slope that built itself up gradually, maybe a stolen touch here and there, long looks and glances between myself and whoever it was that would kiss me. Then perhaps a small touch of the lips—soft and timid like a shy deer in the forest.

This was entirely the opposite.

This had appeared out of nowhere. No obvious signs were present to tell me what was about to happen. Just implied words and actions between the two of us in the half dozen times we met. But I wasn't complaining.

Loki was like a wolf. He attacked my lips with his like a predator: hungry and savage. He pressed his weight on top of me, crushing my body between the couch cushions beneath my spine and himself. The pressure of his body above my ribcage was not uncomfortable, but rather soothing. His hands gripped my jaw line, holding me firmly in his clutches. There was no escape for me—not that I wanted it, anyways.

I welcomed his advance eagerly, finding my lips to be moving with his in synchronized actions. My own hands found their way to the back of his neck, tangling themselves in his black hair.

He growled and I stilled my hands, alarmed. Did I pull his hair? Did I do something to displease him?

"Don't stop," he groaned against my lips.

Relieved, my hands continued their ministrations in his raven colored hair. His hands left my neck to grip my waist, trailing under my t-shirt. His touch was cool, brushing against my navel. His thumbs played with the underside of my bra. Teasing.

The doorbell rang.

Loki kept going, kissing and biting the translucently pale skin of my neck. I struggled internally, wanting to ignore whoever it was at the door, and craving more contact with the Asgardian god above me.

A knock sounded and a shout, "Miss Wilson! I know you're in there. You still need to pay off your last month's bill! And what about your electric bill?"

My landlord.

"Loki," I whispered frantically. "Loki! It's important!"

He growled in my ear, biting the lobe of it. "Tell him to go away. Or ignore him."

"He has a key to my apartment. _A key!_" I stressed. The building was Mr. Carter's anyways. If he suspected that I was skipping out of my last few payments, bad things could happen.

Loki cursed lowly under his breath and rolled off of me. He offered me his hand and pulled me to my feet a second later. His hair was disheveled and I was certain that I looked worse. "I'm sorry, I'll tell him to come back tomorrow. Just give me a second," I urged. He nodded.

"Ah, Miss Wilson," Mr. Carter greeted as I opened the door a few inches. "Are you okay? You look sick. Your hair is a mess and your face is red. Did I stop by at a bad time?" His politeness held traces of unease. He was probably worried about getting his money—which I planned on retrieving from my bank account tomorrow afternoon.

"Yeah, I'm not feeling too great. Maybe you should come back tomorrow?" I asked, rolling with the excuse he implied. If I looked disheveled to him from fooling around with Loki, then I'd use it to my advantage.

The elderly man nodded, gave me a shaky smile, and replied. "Sure…just be sure you fix up the front yard before you move out or I might have to add that to your bill. And what about that garden of yours. You need to get it to look the way it did before you moved in. Too many flowers. Did you know that there was a hole in the middle of your lawn? A missing patch!"

I chuckled nervously, "Yeah. There was an issue with a pansy a few days ago. See you tomorrow, then!" I ended the conversation as quickly as I could. I was eager to get back to Loki.

I shut the door and turned around with a smile. My grin evaporated into a frown when I found the living room to be empty.

"Loki?"

**XXX**

"The Chitauri request your presence, Prince of Asgard," the faceless voice filled my head.

As Laurel currently spoke with the odd man at the door, my mind was elsewhere. I could hear her voice softly in the background, but was unable to see her. The living room had faded away from my eyes as stars and swirling galaxies emerged. The simple Midgardian garb was long gone and my Asgardian armor took it's rightful place on my body.

Dead, gray rock was underfoot and the voice returned. "You are needed. You have a duty," the voice seethed. A Chitauri commander stepped out from a crevice in the hillside to my right.

"Right," I replied. "What are you in need of now?"

"The Tesseract."

I swallowed and held my jaw firmly in place. "An infinity gem. Perfect. When do I embark on this new mission? And when am I to receive satisfaction on my end? The last time I checked, we had a deal. It has been _four years_," I spat out.

The vision of my emerald and gold armor flickered, then vanished. I was once more in my Midgardian garb. The commander answered me. "Your pathetic hologram will not be needed any longer. We have rebuilt your gear. _That _is just one act on our part. A token of proof that reward will come your way. A promise of our agreement."

I nodded, pleased. Now I could summon my armor at will, transporting it through planes of space and portals when needed, rather than conjuring up a pseudo vision of them.

"And as for your greater satisfaction…once you attain The Tesseract, you can use it to bring forth our army. We will win you the Earth as promised. Then, we take The Tesseract with us and leave you to do as you please. Deal…completed. Ties…severed," the guttural, hissing voice replied.

A wide grin spread across my face. Victory was almost within my clutches.

"One more note, eager prince."

"What now," I sneered, mildly annoyed.

"If you should fail…there will be no realm—no barren moon nor crevice where wecannot find you," he seethed.

"You dare try to intimidate me? Pitiful," I spat out. Suddenly, another vision was conjured. Laurel appeared. I scoffed, feigning indifference.

The Chitauri commander smiled, calling my bluff. He strode up behind Laurel, unsheathed a dagger from his belt, and held it against her neck. "Loki," the vision of Laurel whispered. I said nothing. My face was void of emotion as I held my emotions in check. Showing weakness would only cause more harm. I was a statue…

Until he slit her throat.

"NO!" I shouted, instantly taking a step forward out of reaction. My eyes widened. Despite the fact that I knew Laurel was safe and this was merely an illusion, it was a scene that was hard to watch. She gasped and fell to the ground, shaking and breathing rapidly while holding up a hand to her neck. Moments later, her grey eyes became lifeless.

The commander pointed at the image of Laurels body. "This is what will come to be should you fail us. You think you know pain? We will make you long for something sweet as pain once she is dead. You are immortal. Think of the many centuries of loss you will endure with her dead at your hands."

I looked down my nose at the ground, keeping my gaze away from the vision of Laurel's lifeless face. Once rightfully crowned as king, I would come back for her—my queen, and ensure her safety. I would not fail.

"When do we start?" I murmured.

"Now."

The stars and colorless rock vanished from around me and I was thrust back into my mind with a painful flash. Laurel's tiny apartment returned all around me. I could hear her voice clearly in my ears and my eyes found her standing at her front door. She was still talking with the lord of her land…landlord…which ever. She was alive and well.

And I had to leave.

I had a job to do.

With great difficulty, I tore myself away from her. I would see her again, though.

**AN-Thanks for reading! Please review! I need some feedback! **


	13. Chapter 12: Unknown

**AN-Hooray for another chapter! Thanks so much for reading my story!**

**Chapter 12: Unknown**

"Laurel? Would you draw up a CBC tube from Mr. Jones in room two-thirty-three, please?"

"I'm on it, Molly!" I called to the nurse at the front desk.

It had been a month since I moved. I was starting off as a phlebotomist for my first year at the hospital here in Pittsburgh. Right now, I drew blood samples into tubes and delivered them to the lab. Next year, I would move into the lab to perform the actual tests and my salary would almost double. But I didn't mind gathering the samples, even if I did get paid less than my intended job for next year. Inserting the needle into a patient's arm and collecting the deep burgundy blood inside had fascinated me.

My white tennis shoes squeaked softly on the ivory linoleum tile of the hospital halls. Finding the room in no time, I knocked lightly on the patient's door and entered.

"Hello Mr. Jones. I'm here to take a bit of blood if that's alright with you," I introduced myself as I rolled up the sleeves of my lab coat.

"I don't mind," a voice responded as I scrubbed my hands with sanitizer.

I smiled, turning around to the bed, and spoke. "Okay, then. Is your information here correct?" As I looked at the patient to hand him the test tube label, I finally glimpsed his face.

Oh.

Mr. Jones was an attractive twenty-something year old.

He sat up in the hospital bed to read the information I handed him. "Yep. That is me. I just had my appendix removed. I suppose now they're checking in on me," he replied. His eyes were crystal blue and his hair was a soft chestnut brown.

"Uh-huh," I murmured with a slight stutter as I donned my gloves. The nitrile material snapped and sqeaked loudly as I awkwardly fought to slip them on. "Um…yeah, okay. Mr. Jones, could you just stick out your arm for me now please?"

He complied and I tied the tourniquet, feeling for a good vein in his arm. "You can call me Brandon, if you'd like. You're going to be stabbing a needle into my arm and draining my blood. The least we can do is be on a first name basis with each other."

A smile crept over my face. "It's just one vial of blood, Mr. Jones."

He gave me an amused look and pulled his arm away from me.

"It's just one vial, _Brandon,_" I repeated and corrected myself to call him by his first name. He gave me his arm back with a smile. I placed the needle above his skin and paused. "My name is Laurel," I stated simply as I gently drove the needle into the vein. He winced and exhaled a breath sharply.

I gave him an apologetic look and attached the specimen tube. It clicked into place smoothly and his blood began to trickle inside. While it filled, I looked down at my shoes.

"So…you want to go out for dinner sometime?" he asked bluntly.

My eyes widened and I looked at him incredulously.

I was twenty-one, fresh out of college, and had yet to date anyone. Loki was the only man I had ever been able to hold up conversation with—he was even my first kiss. But Loki was also an immortal god from another realm that had a bad habit of disappearing. Besides, we were just friends…right? Even despite our steamy make-out session?

"Um, sure."

He smiled brightly, a warm expression. Brandon's grin made me blush in return.

Maybe it was time for me to branch out into the world of dating?

**XXX**

"So, what do you do for a living?"

Brandon had picked me up two weeks after we met. On the drive from my apartment to the restaurant, we made small talk and laughed for a bit. He was twenty-five and had grown up in the area. Raised by both parents, who were happily married for thirty years, and he came from a large family of six children.

Now that we were seated inside the dimly lit Italian restaurant, we moved on to other topics. I had been the first to ask about work.

Brandon took a drink from his water glass and replied, "I'm going to be a teacher—but I also want to coach high school baseball on the side."

"Oh," I replied politely. "What subject are you going to teach?"

"Science. Biology and Anatomy," he spoke. I smiled at this point. Science was my favorite. Maybe we would be able to talk until late at night about mitral valves and bypass grafts like Loki and I could. That is, if Brandon and I had a great time and wanted to continue seeing each other.

"What about you? You're a phlebotomist, right?"

I chuckled, "Yes—for now. Next year, if the hospital likes my work enough, they'll offer me a permanent position working in their lab."

"That's great!" he smiled. I grinned, too. We seemed to be hitting it off rather well. Maybe after a few more dates, this could develop into a relationship?

"What's your favorite book?" I asked lightly. Our food arrived and we thanked the waiter. Brandon chuckled, "I don't read. Sports are more of my thing."

Well, then…

You can't have it all, I suppose.

After our meal, which was delicious, he paid for our dinner but I coerced him to allow me to buy dessert for the both of us. We ordered two cheesecake slices of different flavors and shared them.

"I really like you, Laurel. So far, I'd say that we get along pretty well."

Brandon and I were now walking back to the parking garage from the restaurant. As we strolled down the sidewalk in the cool, breezy night, we'd started talking.

"Me too," I replied. "Tonight was really nice."

We arrived at the parking garage and stopped near the entrance. "So…" Brandon started. "Would you want to go out again sometime?"

His cheesy grin and blue eyes made my own smile grow much larger.

"Yeah, I'd really like that, Brandon."

We laughed, happy and excited. As our smiles slowly faded and seriousness swept in, he leaned towards me. My heartbeat quickened. "Can I kiss you?" he whispered.

He was so close now that I could clearly make out his blond eyelashes, even at night. I nodded timidly. Loki was my first kiss. I hadn't had much practice in life. What if I was bad at it?

Brandon leaned in closer and I arched my neck up towards him. I could feel the warmth of his body between us and he gently laid a hand on my arm. Our lips were just inches apart and I closed my eyes in anticipation. His lips brushed against mine, barely touching, and I braced myself for my second kiss.

His touch left me abruptly and the pressure of his hand was gone from my arm.

My eyes snapped open and my confused expression turned into horror just as I heard a fist make contact with Brandon's face.

"Loki!" I shouted.

Brandon's back was pushed against a concrete wall of the parking garage. Loki punched him again with his right hand while his left hand clutched Brandon's shirt collar tightly. Loki's face was livid, contorted with rage and anger. He snarled into Brandon's face.

Nevermind the question of how Loki had found me once more or what he was doing here, I was primarily concerned for Brandon's safety. If Loki could smash my phone in one hand while he was bleeding out on my living room floor years ago, I could only imagine what damage he could do at his full strength.

"Stop it!" I cried, grabbing his arm and attempting to pull it away.

He turned on me, one hand still gripping Brandon's shirt, and shoved me back easily like swatting away a fly. I stumbled in my heels and fell down onto my side. My dress ripped at the hem and my palms were scuffed as I braced myself on the asphalt ground. Loki then flipped Brandon over onto the hood of a car and beat him again. Blood poured from my date's nose. The car's alarm system went off, but that didn't stop Loki's fists.

"She…is…mine!" Loki shouted in between punches, his voice was icy and loud enough to hear over the siren.

I ran at him again.

"Stop it! _Now_! You'll kill him!" I cried and slapped Loki across the face in an attempt to snap him out of his fit of rage. Wrong move.

He turned his attention away from the broken and bleeding man on the car. Instead, he focused on me. He grabbed my thin wrists in his hands and pinned me to the wall much like he had to Brandon earlier. "How _dare _you lay a hand on me," he hissed out.

This was a disaster. My first official date out with a man was ruined. I was a mess, Brandon was a _bloody _mess, and he'd probably never want to see me again. And to add onto the failure of the night, Loki was now an enraged and unreasonable monster in his current state. His eyes glared at me with an emotion I'd never seen from him before and it sent shivers down my spine. My chin and bottom lip trembled. This was the side of Loki that I had only seen a few times. The part of him that I thought had been pushed down and silenced. He had promised me years ago that he wouldn't harm me, but I began to doubt it in this moment. I was afraid.

And so, I began to cry.

My eyes filled with hot tears and they spilled over, running down my cheeks. A sob escaped my lips and I mumbled, "Please stop."

His eyes peered into mine. The storm raging behind them began to calm from a deadly typhoon to just a thunderstorm. Still frightening, but less by some degree. After a moment, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Go," he growled at Brandon. "Leave us."

My date groaned, barely audible over the car alarm screeching in my ears, and sat up.

"I said run!" Loki shouted, shaking.

Brandon didn't need to be told again. He gave my trembling form a fleeting glance before running—with a significant limp, up the ramp to the next level of the garage. A minute later, his car started and sped away. The car next to me stopped screaming its shrill alarm and dead silence filled the garage.

I couldn't believe what had just occurred. Loki wasn't always there for me. He came and went as he pleased. Why did he care if I went out with another man? It was just one kiss that Loki and I shared months ago! I doubted that it meant much to him. If it had, perhaps he would have stayed with me rather than disappearing once more without so much as a goodbye!

Brandon was a nice guy—someone that felt stable and reliable. I figured that he'd be around much more than Loki…and now he would never talk to me again. Our date was ruined. Tears of frustration dripped from my chin and onto the top of my dress.

"Laurel, look at me."

My eyes stayed fixed on the ground. I didn't want to look at him. He had destroyed everything.

"I said, _look at me!_" he came close to shouting.

I flinched and turned my gaze to give him a glare. His eyes were narrowed into slits and his jaw was worked into a stern frown. His hand came up and grasped my chin. His eyes looked troubled.

He abruptly turned away from me and stated coldly, "Wipe your tears."

I sniffled and wiped my eyes, confused by his actions. My sorrow quickly turned to anger. Loki had no right to act the way he did. "Why did you do that? Why did you have to ruin everything!" I shouted angrily, voice shaking and wavering.

He turned around briskly, "Did you honestly believe that you and that pathetic, mewling quim would pair well together?"

A scoff of disbelief escaped my lips. "I don't know, but now I'll most certainly never find out. He'll never speak to me again! Honestly, Loki, what the hell were you thinking?"

"That _you _and _I _were together!" he roared. His voice echoed and seemed to shake the concrete structure.

I blinked, shocked.

"I…Loki…you're hardly ever around. You some and go at random without notice. You left last time without even saying goodbye! Do you have any idea how confusing that is for me? How am I supposed to know how you feel?" I whispered.

He shook his head, jaw clenched tightly, and then sighed. "I don't know. I really do not know, Laurel."

And with that, a bright green light encircled his form and he vanished in an instant right before my eyes—teleported away to some unknown destination.

He was leaving me alone once again.

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	14. Chapter 13: Pain and Heat

**AN- I am so excited for this chapter! You'll find out soon enough why! *Sqeals in excitement* Enjoy!**

**Chapter 13: Pain and Heat**

"You are needed, Asgardian," came the familiar creeping voice in my head. The line connecting my mind with the Chitauri was like a telephone, and now it was ringing. Calling.

I sighed, hoping for good news and accepted the connection. My mind was pulled through space and planes of the universe within seconds.

"What is it now?" I asked, irritated. Beneath my feet was the familiar grey rock and dust.

A Chitauri commander appeared behind me and I turned around slowly, cautiously. He smiled widely, a toothy grin revealing ragged razors of teeth. "We have some new information for you, young prince."

I tapped my foot, impatient. "Out with it, then."

"Not yet!" the commander growled. "First, what is your progress on finding the Tesseract?"

An eye roll came from me. Lifting my chin high into the air, I peered down my nose at him as I spoke. "I located S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters and I know where they are keeping your precious Tesseract. I cannot get inside the building by myself. That would take far too long and I would lose the element of surprise. All I need is a point of entry and a means of which to control the humans from you. I also suspect that the Tesseract is in need of some fine tuning in order to function at its maximum capacity. A certain Dr. Selvig, a friend of my pathetic brother, seems like the appropriate option. I'll find a way to coerce him to stabilize and maximize the Tesseract's power. A combination of threats and physical violence will work just fine."

"Good," he hissed. "Very good. We can give you what you need in order for your plans to be successful—a scepter powered by the Tesseract. It can bend the minds and willpower of the weak humans to your satisfaction. We can also grant your entry into S.H.I.E.L.D. by connecting to the infinity gem. That—the Tesseract, will be your doorway. In return, we expect it to be ours. Use it to lead us into Midgard's atmosphere. We will conquer it for you."

"And then you can take the Tesseract and conquer the universe. Unveil worlds unknown! Asgard will remain untouched, as promised?"

He nodded, but prodded further, "What is your reasoning behind that? We are already presenting you the Earth."

"That is for me to know, not you. I have my reasons!" I warned. Truthfully, I couldn't care less about Midgard. I would pluck Laurel from its surface and that would be the end of that. But Thor cared about Earth. Once I had Midgard under my rule I would offer it to him. A trade. The safety of Midgard, in turn for the throne of Asgard.

"Very well, then."

I turned, ready to leave this illusion, but was interrupted.

"One more thing," the Chitauri commander noted. I sighed, my patience wearing thin, and spun around swiftly. "What—" I snarled, but my question was cut off as a Frost Giant suddenly appeared and gripped the sides of my skull in his hands. My own hands came up to grasp the forarms of the creature. His hold was strong and he lifted me from the ground. The Jotun must have been conjured out of thin air.

I waited, anticipating some sort of attack, but none came. He simply swept his eyes over my face to study me. Seconds later, the Frost Giant released me from his grip. I fell, stumbling to my knees, and sputtered out my retort.

"How dare you lay your filthy hands on me! You beast!" I raged. The touch of a Frost Giant has been known to cause cryogenic burns to my people.

The Jotun smiled wickedly and responded, "If my hands are dirtied by my lineage, then perhaps you take a look at your own before lashing out."

Irritated, I glanced downwards at my hands to humor the giant and froze. Shock radiated from me as I studied the deep blue hue of my skin. No pain, no frozen burns, just a cyanotic blue coloring. "What is this sorcery—this trickery?" I whispered.

"You are not who you think you are," came a reply from the Jotun.

**XXX**

A loud, rapid set of knocks sounded on my front door.

It was four in the morning.

I groaned, rolled out of bed, and stumbled down the hall. If someone was going to rob me, knocking first was a rather unconventional way of doing it. I hoped it wasn't my new landlord. My Pittsburgh townhouse was in good shape. There shouldn't be any reason to complain.

The pounding got louder, angrier.

I unlocked the door, figuring my life couldn't get any worse, and opened it a few inches. "If you're here to rob me, don't bother—" I started speaking before seeing who it was.

And once I saw his face in the dim light, I quickly moved to slam the door shut with an irritated frown. He beat me to it, jamming his boot into the space between the door and the threshold in order to keep it open. Then his hand pressed against the door and forced it open. I hastily stepped backwards to avoid getting hit in the face with the door, simultaneously allowing him further access into my home.

Loki quickly rushed inside into the full light of the living room and didn't look too happy.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I shouted. "Brandon never called me back once you beat his face to a pulp!" He shut the door behind himself and stared me down. My heart fluttered, despite my current mood towards him. Just because we were friends for the past four years, didn't mean that I could forgive him easily for his actions. I was growing tired of his bipolar behavior (with extreme rage being a peak), disappearing and reappearing at random, and beating up my date two weeks ago. He said nothing in response, so I continued speaking.

"How do you keep finding me? I remember telling you that I was moving to Pittsburgh, but you just so happen to find me in a parking garage on the _only _first date I've _ever _had? And now you're in my new house!"

He frowned down at me and then turned to look out one of the dark living room windows as he replied calmly, "It takes some effort...but not much. By the way, did you steal those tourniquets from the hospital in order to tie your curtains?" He brought out a hand to touch the blue, latex-free material. I pocketed a handful of the unused tourniquets on the day I met Brandon. I figured they'd work to momentarily keep my curtains open until I was able to go out and buy wall hooks from the store.

I scoffed at his pretty pathetic attempt to change the subject and ignored his question. Instead, I yelled his direction sarcastically, "So the great Loki Odinson of Asgard has once again decided to grace me with his presence. I'm _honored!_" I spat out my reply in anger.

"Do not call me that!" he raged at me. The entire conversation took a turn.

I flinched at his tone of voice and then closed my eyes, trying to calm down. My own anger was justified, but it would only make Loki's temper worse in the end. Two enraged people in one room was bad news. "Why not?" I muttered, attempting to keep my voice level. He spun around wildly, eyes blazing.

"Because that is not who I am!"

I sat down on the couch, irritated but also mildly curious as to what he meant, and asked for clarification. "And what makes you think that?"

Loki buried his hands in his hair, gripping it by the roots as if he was going mad. He closed his eyes and gritted out a response, "Do you remember what I said to you years ago about the Frost Giants of Jotunheim? The Jotuns?"

I pursed my lips, "Yeah…the tall blue dudes that tried to kill your father…bad news…enemies of your people. What about them?"

Loki crouched down in front of the couch to peer into my eyes at my level. He looked torn, debating some internal struggle. He whispered, "I am not who I thought I was. _I_ am a frost giant."

I blinked in slight alarm and then confusion swept through me. "You don't look like one—at least not what you described to me. Are you sure? How does that even make sense? Loki…how did you even get that idea?"

He stood up abruptly and returned to look out the same window from earlier. He faced away from me as he replied lowly, "A Frost Giant revealed my nature. He grabbed me and the skin to skin contact triggered my true appearance. It happened just recently—I was away on one of my errands and the veil was removed from my eyes. I should have seen this earlier, but I was blind to all the signs around me. Odin always _did _favor Thor. He treated him far better than he did myself. I didn't belong on Asgard and always felt like an _outcast_! Now I know why! How could I have been so naïve?"

"Loki, if what you say is true—if you are adopted, I'm sure that your father loved you just the same. Your father—" he cut me off before I could finish.

He spun back around to face me, anger blatantly apparent. "Odin is not my father! I am Loki…of Jotunheim!" he roared. In his rage, his features began to change. Maroon pigmentation bled out from the corners of his eyes and overshadowed the previously green irises until his eyes glowed red. The normally white sclerae became a vibrant crimson. A deep blue hue crept across his skin, eating up the pale complexion like a dark void. I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Loki…" I whispered in slight alarm. I wasn't afraid, though, but I was surprised.

The anger diminished from his features and his eyes widened as he realized what had occurred. He quickly turned away from me, horrified, and whispered, "I deeply regret that you had to see me like that, Laurel. I am a monster...and I will leave you now."

He made a move towards the door but I quickly shot up off of the couch and blocked his path. I leaned my back against the door, determined. Despite my anger at how Loki had been acting as of late, I pushed that aside. He legitimately looked like he was going to fall apart at any minute. Even with how crazy everything had been between us, he was still my friend.

I still cared.

With his exit blocked, Loki stopped directly in front of me. His eyes refused to meet my face. He looked sad and ashamed.

"Loki, you don't need to go."

He scoffed and replied bitterly, "Sure I do. I am a beast. I've caused you enough harm for a lifetime. This time, once I leave I will not return. You will finally be free of me."

His words struck me. He was _not _going to quit on me now. He didn't get to just disappear forever after four and a half years of this craziness.

I stepped forward, determined, and placed my hands on the sides of his blue face. He flinched slightly, but I ignored it as I gently tilted his face down to mine so that I could see him more clearly. Up close, I could make out intricate patterns that framed his brows. Beautiful, swirling marks and curves outlined his features. I lifted a hand from his cheek in order to lightly trace the lines. "You're not a monster, Loki. You're beautiful."

His downcast eyes lifted in surprise to meet mine. The flashes of red peered back at me. "What did you say?" he whispered.

"You're not a monster," I repeated. "You may be an immortal, bipolar man that shows up and disappears randomly…but you're definitely not a monster, Loki."

The blue pigmentation faded under my touch and his eyes returned to their usual emerald. Emotion swam behind them and his black eyebrows drew together in disbelief. "You have got to be lying to me, Laurel," he murmured.

"You're The God of Lies. Tell me, do you really think I'd be able to lie to you? I'll say it again…you are _not _a monster, Loki. I'll say it as many times as you need. I'll always remind you."

His lips crashed against mine in an instant.

My eyes widened in surprise and shock by the suddenness of his actions. Then my eyes closed, reveling in his touch. My heart raced, beating madly in my chest cavity, and I slowly wrapped my arms around his neck.

His hands found themselves into my long hair, tangling it, and gripping it taught. His lips were hungry, devouring me swiftly, and his teeth bit my lower lip.

Hard.

I gasped, pain mixing with the pleasure, and Loki took the opportunity to move his tongue into my mouth. My hands roamed from his neck to his chest. My fingers pulled on his shirt, gripping him to me. Loki took that as a sign and broke our contact just long enough to remove the article of clothing quickly. Once it was gone, his mouth returned to mine.

My hands traced the familiar places of his chest that I saw four years ago. My fingertips found the pale scar on his side from our first encounter. It had healed nicely, leaving just a subtle mark. My touch moved all across his muscles—his pectorals, abdominals, biceps, and triceps. Lean and sinewy, but strong.

While my hands were busy with his back and torso, Loki's hands cupped my slender throat. His touch traced the lines of my collarbones, slowly tickling and teasing. Then his hands were around my waist. Pulling and squeezing me softly.

"Your turn," he murmured against my mouth. "This needs to come off."

He was talking about my shirt and I agreed. I stepped back, lifting the fabric up and over my head. My bra lifted an inch, revealing the undermost swells of my breasts, and Loki noticed.

The instant my shirt hit the floor, he bent down to place kisses along my skin. My throat, my shoulder, in between my breasts, and my stomach weren't safe from his mouth. He devoured my body.

My breathing was heavy, coming out in loud gasps and pants. His own breaths were labored and I felt each cloud of air leaving his lungs against my skin.

His mouth returned to mine, hungry and needing. I granted him access and pressed my body against his. "Laurel," he groaned and I felt his desire for me through his denim jeans. A hot blush crept over my skin as I remembered just how well endowed he was downstairs from the fleeting glances I stole when we first met. Loki noticed my flushed skin and broke his mouth away from mine.

"Remove them," he ordered lowly. His voice was deep and demanding. His bare chest heaved with each breathless moment.

I complied and my hands made quick work of the button and zipper of his pants. He stepped out of them and lifted me into his arms. One, two, three strides of his long legs and he was suddenly laying my back onto the coffee table. In a single fluid motion, he tugged my sweatpants off of my full hips and pulled them down my legs. I kicked them free and they landed on the recliner.

He hovered over me, his dark hair shrouded and framed the sides of his face. Bright green eyes met my cool grey ones. "Are you untouched?" he breathed out in a question. "I only ask bearing your comfort in mind and not out of judgement."

I nodded, unafraid. I wanted this—I wanted him.

"I promise to be gentle in the beginning, but I must warn you that I am stronger and more resilient than most. You may be overwhelmed," he chuckled.

"I can handle you."

He chuckled darkly and I shivered in anticipation.

**XXX**

This was the Loki I knew—the Loki that was buried and pressed down under his self doubt and loathing. I would always fight to bring him to the forefront. Whenever he doubted the good inside of him, I would remind him that it existed.

Despite the fact that I knew Loki had darkness inside of him, I knew without a doubt that my fate would always be to forgive him.

Because if I didn't show him kindness and forgiveness…who else would?

**AHHH! Please let me know what you thought of this chapter! I loved writing it and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it! Let me know your opinions on it!**

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	15. Chapter 14: Resent

**Chapter 14: Resent**

I awoke the next morning after our coupling.

Laurel was strewn across my chest, still sleeping, and I peered down at her in amazement. It never ceased to surprise me when she made me feel normal. On Asgard, for reasons now known, I was an obvious stand out with my dark hair and pale skin. Suntanned and golden hues were 'normal' in that realm, but with Laurel in my arms now I could clearly see that our coloring was almost identical.

Despite the unquestionable fact that she was a mortal, we had the same skin tone. Her long locks were also a similarity—just a shade lighter than my black hair, but we paired nicely together. We complemented each other in many ways. We would look aesthetically pleasing in the eyes of the people we ruled over and this fact pleased me greatly.

She stirred awake, rolling over onto her side, and pulled away from me. The black bed sheet slipped from her form as she sat up, dazed and trying to remember what had happened last night. As she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings, she spotted me. Her eyes widened in embarrassment and she quickly moved to cover her pert breasts with her hands.

"No," I ordered, grabbing her wrists gently. "You don't need to shield yourself from me, Laurel."

Her eyes softened and she allowed me to lower her hands. My eyes hungrily took in her artful body. Small, but full, breasts were centered and framed by her collarbones. The slope of her shoulders leading down to her arms was rather delicate, like a bird's frame with their light, hollow bones. Her ribcage was lean as it led down to her navel. Below that, the skin was smoothest there where her soft abdomen curved. Under the outline of the sheet were her hips—a favorite of mine. They gave her a slight pear shape like the goddesses from long ago. Her body greatly resembled the alabaster statues in Odin's great hall.

A frown worked its way onto my face at the thought of my adoptive father.

"Loki? What is it?" Laurel asked, seeing my reaction.

"It is nothing."

She didn't buy it. A frown of her own appeared and I sighed, relenting. "Odin. He's not my father. Thor isn't my brother. I am a Jotun, not an Asgardian. So what is my real lineage? Who are my parents? That question plagues me most."

She sat up higher, leaning against the headboard, and appeared rather thoughtful. "Are you still a god in your terms? You're still immortal?" she asked. I nodded.

"Then you'll live forever. You have the rest of eternity to find out! I get why you're curious, but you shouldn't let it worry you. You have time."

"But I want to know _now,_" I replied.

"Why can't you return to Asgard and ask Odin? What happened when you fell to Earth that could have ruined your relationship so much?" she inquired further.

I sighed, grabbing her hand and kissing each fingertip gently. "Thor and I didn't really get along. Sibling rivalry is always to be expected, but for a long time I hid how I actually felt. Odin always favored Thor—because I wasn't biologically his. I didn't know this at the time, but I could feel just how different I was treated. Our mother, Frigga, was the only one to care for Thor and I as equals."

"How does this lead up to your arrival here?" she prodded.

"On the date of Thor's coronation as king, I may have caused quite some trouble. Evidently, Thor reacted badly and blamed the Jotuns. Odin punished Thor for this and I took over the throne temporarily. I tricked the Jotuns into thinking I was a traitor of Asgard. I fooled them into thinking I would let them slay Odin in his sleep. I double crossed them and killed them in return. I then attempted to use Bifrost—the great junction between Asgard and the other nine realms, to destroy Jotunheim. All of this was in an attempt to appear as the savior of our realm. I just wanted Odin to find me deserving of the throne, you see."

"Oh…I see. Then what happened? What went wrong on your end?" Laurel asked.

I scoffed, a humorless chuckled. "Thor happened. He returned and we battled on the rainbow bridge of the Bifrost. Thor foiled my plan and destroyed the bridge. I was injured, as you well know, and fell off of the shattered pathway into the void. All of Asgard now thinks I am dead and I currently use this as an advantage. I have as much time as I want to do whatever I want with this newfound freedom. That is why I can't go home. Not yet. If they find out that I still live, they will interrupt and ultimately destroy everything I've spent the last couple of years building."

Laurel nodded, taking in everything I said, and then suddenly appeared concerned. "Loki," she started, "your plans…the plans you've spent the past four and a half years slowly carrying out…they don't happen to be revenge on your adoptive father and brother, do they?"

I looked down at our joined hands and entangled legs under the midnight sheets. Could I tell Laurel of my plans for her realm? The Chitauri were growing restless and I would be in control of Midgard soon enough—though Laurel didn't need to know that part, necessarily. But could I tell her my intentions? Once I had Midgard, I would trade it's freedom for Asgard's throne. Imagine Odin's face when a Frost Giant sat upon the throne with a queen like Laurel at his side.

"Yes. They do," I answered simply without much detail.

She frowned, appearing sad, but pity was not in her eyes. I was thankful for that. I didn't need _anyone's _pity. I was too strong for that weak emotion. Laurel mainly just appeared worried.

"Revenge isn't the answer, Loki. There are other ways to prove someone wrong."

I scoffed, "No. Revenge _is _the appropriate response. I resent them, Laurel. You don't know what it was like living on a planet inhabited by those fools. I was different from _everyone _on Asgard and I had no idea why! I used to blame myself! Now, I know who to rightfully place all of the blame on—along with the shame and self loathing." My voice grew from a frustrated tone to loud rage, "Thor and Odin ruined me!"

My future queen swallowed thickly, saddened by my words, and spoke softly, "Or maybe they made you stronger, Loki. You want to beat them? Fine. Do it by proving them wrong. They used to look at you like you were different? Embrace it. Be someone better than they could have imagined. Use your intelligence and strength for the greater good. Do something else—_anything _else than whatever it is you have planned currently. Because your current plans, thought I do not know what they are exactly, don't sound safe for anyone."

I was silent. My rage simmered and slowed while she leaned forward to place her small hand on my cheek. "I don't want you to get yourself hurt even more from your vendetta. You've become very near and dear to me, Loki."

I placed my hand over hers and held it. "I have?" I asked, eyes filled with disbelief and doubt.

She bit her lip and nodded. "You're the only one I can be myself with—even if you do leave and reappear into my life rather sporadically."

I laughed lowly and then quieted as I thought about my relationship with Laurel. Years ago, I never would have guessed that she would effect me the way that she has. I expected Laurel to give me wisdom and guidance for my future rule, and she already has, but I never would have predicted my feelings for her. Sigyn was the only other woman I laid with and I had no emotional attachment to her, besides a shallow kinship. Laurel had a hold of my every conscious thought.

My gaze trailed to her throat, pleased to see that she had turned the shrapnel of my armor into a necklace. An idea entered my mind and I gently gripped the bent piece of metal in my hand, my knuckles brushing against Laurel's breasts, then I closed my eyes. A simple enchantment spell was whispered under my breath and then I released her necklace.

"What was that about, Loki?" she asked, inquisitive.

"Look at it," I responded. She did, peering down at the chain, and gasped. The metal had been transformed into a gem—one commonly found deep in the ice of Jotunheim. They were so abundant, that they were worthless to Asgardians. The Jotuns had no need for sparkling things, finding them useless and petty, but I found this stone appealing. It was from my newly revealed home planet, so I thought it appropriate to gift to Laurel. Besides its abundance and rather worthless value, I found it to be quite the contrary. The same could be said for Laurel. Her kind thrived in the billions on her planet and they interested no other species in the universe. They were a numerous and weak people, but Laurel was one that I treasured.

The stone looked elegant against her pale skin. A translucent, light green was the primary color and swirls of gold were interwoven inside. When the light struck it, a deep sapphire blue color shone back.

"It houses a protective charm—just a simple act of warning to your safety. If you are ever in danger, it will change its appearance from the usual green hue, to a clouded and solid blue pigment. And mind you, do not trust anyone around you when it changes colors! They mean to harm you," I explained with careful warning.

"Loki, I don't know what to say," Laurel started. "I…thank you—"

I cut her off, holding up a hand to silence her. "I have enemies, Laurel. It's only fair that I give you some sort of early warning system in advance. This charm will help you."

I wanted Laurel to be safe. She was a mortal, but she had become something of worth to me. Over the years since meeting her, she would frequently enter my mind and I found it more and more difficult to forget her. Her smile, her laugh, her voice, and her intelligent mind. She was intoxicating. Like a fine wine that I had drunk to much of, she filled up my soul and body to leave me feeling weightless.

We were close—close enough to share our bodies with each other in bed, but we weren't wed yet. I wondered when my betrothal to her should start. Surely, we still needed time for our feelings to grow further even more before we were to be wed. How many more years did we have together? Were they enough to live happily?

"Laurel," I started. She smiled back at me expectantly and I continued. "How long do your kind live? I know much about your realm—your customs and inner workings, but what is your life expectancy?"

She froze, as if realizing a thought she had long pushed away from the forefront of her mind. She was naturally pale like ivory, but all of the remaining color drained from her face. I became worried.

"Tell me, Laurel," I urged. When she took too long to answer, my voice grew louder. "Out with it, then! Tell me!"

"One hundred years is pushing it," she sputtered. "Most of us don't even make it that far."

I was floored, shocked beyond belief.

"By half of that, we don't even consider ourselves young anymore. Most of us dread becoming forty. I…I'll probably only look like this for twenty more years before I appear old enough to be your mother," she whispered, speaking more to herself than to me.

I had merely a few more decades with my queen. That was a heart's beat—a blink of an eye to my people.

Rising out of the bed in a hurry, I rushed to find my clothing. I had to leave. Now.

"Loki? Where are you going?" Laurel spoke frantically.

"I…need to go," I muttered out emotionlessly.

Laurel stumbled out of her bed, dragging the sheet with her as she followed me throughout the house. "Loki, wait!" her voice shook and wavered behind me. I could hear the tears in her tone. My shirt and pants were still on the floor of her living room and I shrugged them on in a daze.

"Stop! Don't go!"

My shoes…where were they?

Laurel grabbed my arm with tears streaming down her face. Her sorrow merged with anger and disbelief. "You're giving up on us because I'm going to grow old in a few years? That's it? You're done?" She now believed me to be superficially invested, caring mostly about how she would look in a few decades. She was wrong.

I still couldn't find my shoes and debated leaving them. Laurel's voice grew louder. "That's your reason?" she shouted.

"Yes!" I roared out the lie. Her impending death—that was my reason. Not her change in appearance. I had expected a few centuries with her, at least, compared to my lifespan of eternity. Not _one _measly century. I couldn't continue living the next eighty years with her by my side, knowing that she would be slowly dying while I lived on. And afterwards? What of the years after her death? What would I do with my remaining immortal life alone? The grief would eat me alive until I was hollow inside. A living corpse.

I couldn't bear it. I did not wish to witness her life evaporating as the years passed by.

Screw the shoes, I was leaving now.

Soon the Chitauri would have their Tesseract, I would have Midgard to trade Thor for the throne of Asgard, and now I would have to include a life of luxury for Laurel into the negotiation with Thor. While I ruled Asgard, I would ensure that she lived out the rest of her short, mortal life on Earth in riches and comfort—but without me. That was all the happiness I could provide for her but I couldn't bear to see her dying of old age.

I spun around to face her, angry, I commanded, "Forget me, Laurel. Live out your pathetically minute lifespan with someone else! Do whatever the hell you want! I don't care!" The lies pained me to say, burning like acid, but I was Loki—The God of Lies. I was born with a silver tongue and could fib with ease.

She stopped, stunned. "What?" she whispered.

I opened the door and prepared to leave her for the last and final time. "Goodbye, sad mortal," I called as I walked from her home. Choosing not to call her by her name would sting her wounds all the more. It was necessary to allow her to move on without me. The pain I caused her now would grant her an easier way to find happiness with one of her own.

As the door swung shut, Laurel let out a stream of furious curses. She also must have found my shoes because a loud _thud _hit the door behind me. Yet, I clearly remember that she was on the opposite side of the room and far from the door.

"You bastard!" she cried out angrily.

In the war that I had planned, caring was _not _an advantage.

**AN-*screams happily* We're getting to the good stuff! Thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter! Someone brought up the idea of ****lemons**** in this story. PLEASE review and let me know if that is something you guys would be interested in seeing in future chapters! **

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